The Stendhal Syndrome
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Movie Reviews of The Stendhal Syndrome
Movie Review: Argento outdoes himself
Summary: 5 Stars
Argento fans know that his best work was done in the 70's and early 80's. Among hardcore fans, a common complaint about even the best of his films has been the repetetive story lines. "The Stendhal Syndrome" should silence these criticisms. The psychological intricacies of the plot would be enough to put "Stendhal" above the majority of Argento's recent work; though there's plenty of gore, the film works on more than just a visceral level. At its heart, this is a brutally honest film about rape and its effects on its victims. Argento refuses to compromise and even toys with the viewer who may expect the typical Argento ending, throwing in an unexpected yet thoroughly logical twist.
Asia Argento's performance as Anna is brilliant; she is tough, independent, tentative, frightened - she is the most complete character in any Argento film.
"The Stendhal Syndrome" should be seen several times. Argento's images are stunning - the fantasy scene by the waterfall is worth the price of the DVD alone. Repeated viewings also reveal insghts about the Anna character you may miss the first time around.
This is truly a benchmark work from the master of the genre.
Movie Review: Some good, some bad
Summary: 5 Stars
The five stars I give this DVD are for the film itself, not it's presentation which needs to be improved greatly. The grainy, flickery image presented by Troma is a big disappointment. Hopefully Anchor Bay or Image will get ahold of this film in the future and give it a cleaner digital transfer. The film itself is quite good, a mysterious departure from the Argento of old, although it has elements of both Deep Red and Tenebre. The extras provided are quite funny, the Troma Intelligence Test is an absolute hoot as is the Tour of Troma's home base. It's worth it all in all, but just remember that the picture quality is not the best. If you want to see Stendahl Syndrome, this is your only bet for now.Movie Review: A beautiful piece of artistry. Argento assaults the senses.
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is definately one of Argento's best. As usual the movie features Argento's masterful camerawork and artistic set design. The movie also features enough scares to satisfy any horror fan. Where this movie truly shines, however, is in it's pschological aspects. It is unberable at times to watch the tortures which Argento puts his daughter Asia through. After an intense first half, the movie shifts it's tone radically. Unbelieveably it becomes more disturbing. If not for a few cheesy cgi effects this would be a perfect movie. Still, if you can sit through it and keep your eyes on the screen, it would be hard to find a more rewarding film experience. Buy this movie today.Movie Review: One of Argento's best efforts as of late
Summary: 5 Stars
The Stendhal Syndrome is an excellent piece. Well written and directed, alot can be said about the performance of his gorgeous daughter. The film has an interesting story line and a shock ending, a bit sluggish, but worth the wait. The film should be seen for Asia Argento alone. If you liked OPERA or TRAUMA, both films I thought were top notch, you will most certainly like this shocking piece by Italy's best suspense director.Movie Review: Stylish but Incoherent
Summary: 4 Stars
I am slightly embarrassed to admit that this is my first Dario Argento film. For anyone even remotely interested in horror movies, this admission is not an easy one. I don't really know why I waited so long to watch an Argento film; perhaps it is merely an oversight on my part. It certainly has nothing to do with an aversion to Italian horror cinema; I have seen several films by such notables as Lucio Fulci, Ruggero Deodato, and Umberto Lenzi but never anything from Dario. Argento's body of work is voluminous: he's been making films for over thirty years, with his best work appearing in the 1970s and early 1980s. I'll eventually watch "Suspiria," "Inferno," and "Deep Red," but for my first Argento film I decided to view "The Stendhal Syndrome," mainly because the plot sounded immensely intriguing even for a horror film. The additional factor of Asia Argento in the starring role of Anna Manni definitely didn't hurt, either. Asia is Dario's daughter, an actress whose star is rising with recent appearances in American big budget films."The Stendhal Syndrome," set in Italy, tells the story of police detective Anna Manni. Anna's latest case involves a serial rapist who with his last two victims added murder to his resume. Regrettably for Anna, this criminal has now set his sights on her. His first move against Manni entails luring her to a museum where she falls victim to an odd psychological malady called the Stendhal Syndrome. Named for the famous French writer Stendhal, this mental affliction causes the sufferer to undergo nausea, headaches, depression, and severe hallucinations when confronted with works of art. In Anna's case, the trip to the museum turns into nothing less than a bizarre interaction with a painting in which Anna perceives herself actually entering the picture for a quick dip in the ocean where see encounters a smoochy fish. Subsequent episodes include walking into a painting of a waterfall and entering a picture only to find herself at a murder scene. The rapist soon plays a cat and mouse game with Anna, driving her nearly mad with his attentions. The game wears Anna down, causing a rift with her policeman boyfriend and requiring periodic visits to a psychiatrist to work through the trauma she suffers at the hands of her adversary. Director Argento plays games with the viewer as well, concealing the implications of Anna's experiences with her stalker until the end of the film. "The Stendhal Syndrome" runs for a lengthy two hours, taking turns which are at times fascinating or boring.
The most basic problem with "The Stendhal Syndrome" is Argento's uneven pacing and a lack of plot coherency. All of the best effects appear in the first thirty minutes of the film, thereby letting the rest of the movie fall into a rather boring montage of scenes until again picking up steam in the last ten minutes. Don't get me wrong; I think this movie is worth watching, but I also feel it is worth watching only for a limited number of scenes. "The Stendhal Syndrome" just doesn't work as a coherent film. The plot is hazy at best, with Argento providing more questions than answers. I once read that Argento's plots often sink into a quagmire of confusion, and if this is so, maybe that explains what happened here. All I can say is that a few scenes possess incredibly great power, while the majority of the movie lags far behind. You get the sense you are watching a genius at work, but that he's a lazy genius who lacks the fortitude to carry a great idea to fruition.
Sergio Stivaletti did the special effects for "The Stendhal Syndrome," and they are quite impressive. The scenes where Anna suffers through a Stendhal episode look good considering this movie probably didn't have a big budget. Moreover, many of the graphic effects produce cringe worthy moments that should warm the heart of any serious horror connoisseur. An interview on the DVD with Stivaletti discusses in depth the problems and successes of the effects work that occurred during the course of the movie. This was the first time Stivaletti ever used computer graphics, and he did a good job overall.
The biggest surprise with this DVD is its release by Troma films. Troma, if you're not aware, is a studio dedicated to producing the worst Z grade junk in film history. One thing Troma does know how to do, however, is release DVD's with lots of extras. There are interviews with Dario Argento here, along with an interview with "Cannibal Holocaust" director Ruggero Deodato (why? I don't know), a bunch of trailers for low-grade schlock like "The Rowdy Girls," "Teenage Catgirls in Heat," "Killer Condom," and "Terror Firmer," and yet another one of those Troma Intelligence Tests. Aren't all of these extras great? Maybe so, but Troma technicians botched the transfer of the film. "The Stendhal Syndrome" is awash in haze, murky shadows, and grain. In short, the movie doesn't look as good as it should. Troma knows better.
I won't let the uneven "The Stendhal Syndrome" get me down. All directors have their difficulties, and this film, while far from great, isn't bad either. Asia Argento does a fair job in the lead, although it's difficult to imagine her as a police officer. Be sure and pay attention when Asia dons a blonde wig. She looks so much like Traci Lords that it's scary. Good effects, good gore, a great if repetitive score by Ennio Morricone, and an occasionally interesting plot make "The Stendhal Syndrome" a must see for Italian horror fans.