La sindrome di Stendhal (1996)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Graziella Magherini (novel)
Dario Argento (story) ...

Release Date:

26 January 1996 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Horror

Plot:

A young policewoman slowly goes insane while tracking down an elusive serial rapist/killer through Italy when she herself becomes a victim of the brutal man's obsession.

Plot Keywords:

Policewoman | Trap | Painting | Hallucination | Rapist

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Asia Argento	...	Det. Anna Manni
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Alfredo Grossi
Marco Leonardi	...	Marco Longhi
Luigi Diberti	...	Insp. Manetti
Paolo Bonacelli	...	Dr. Cavanna
Julien Lambroschini	...	Marie
John Quentin	...	Anna's father
Franco Diogene	...	Victim's husband
Lucia Stara	...	Shop assistant
Sonia Topazio	...	Victim in Florence
Lorenzo Crespi	...	Giulio
Vera Gemma	...	Policewoman
John Pedeferri	...	Hydraulic engineer
Veronica Lazar	...	Marie's mother
Mario Diano	...	Coroner

Also Known As:

Stendhal's Syndrome
The Stendhal Syndrome

Runtime:

120 min | Argentina:114 min | USA:113 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Ontario) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-18 | Germany:18 | Italy:VM14 | Portugal:M/18 (video premiere) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Cine 2000

Trivia:

At one point the film was set to be made in American with Daryl Hannah cast as Anna Manni. The plans fell through and the production was moved to Italy.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in La terza madre (2007)

Argento breaks formula at last

Definitely heady stuff from a filmmaker whose prior experience with psychological subtext has been problematic at best, this film highlights a fearless performance by Asia Argento. The obvious "Argento touches" (i.e., pills rattling down an esophagus, the bullet through a woman's face) stick out like a sore thumb, as they act not in service to the story but rather to reference what is expected from Argento; after the catastrophe of Trauma (Argento imitating a hack filmmaker imitating Argento), this film goes in directions that the director's previous films had only hinted at, and doesn't lead to rely on trademarks for a crutch.

The pace of the film is extremely well-handled in the first half, although it seems to lose track in the second half exactly where the narrative should be tightening up. But given Argento's lack of experience with more plot-driven material, this is in some measure to be expected. Cinematography, sets, art direction are all exemplary.

The acting is always a sore point for Argento movies. Here, only a couple of actors are allowed to give performances, but they make them count. Thomas Kretschmann is only on screen a few times, but gives a strong enough impression in that time (and not simply because of the brutal material contained there) that his role seems much larger. However, the film lives or dies with Asia's performance, and she throws herself into it with abandon. She's ultimately more convincing when she's required to be fierce than when she's required to be vulnerable, but goes through a bewildering range of emotions with scarcely a false note. And it's to her credit that it's so unsettling watching the torments her father subjects her to, so to speak, because she commits herself to their realization so thoroughly.

Comparing this to films from Argento's peak period is not really applicable...it comes from an entirely different vein. Which makes it all the more depressing that his next movie would be Il Fantasma dell'Opera, easily his worst.