transparent mirror. The script featured a some-
to the mystery key “under the soles of your
what different climax, with Death portrayed not
shoes,” and the tendency to “sink into the
as a hooded skeleton (a less than convincing
magma … and the brute matter. Everything
moment, actually) but as a monstrous fleshless
points downwards, toward the lowest, the invis-
figure, with eyes emerging from the orbits and
ible, and what is hidden ‘below’”42); Fire (the
exposed teeth. Other special effects in the scene
cauldron and the flames in the basement of the
were discarded, making it less powerful than it
library, the final conflagration).
had been devised on paper, and a bit under-
But, above all, the film conveys the idea of
whelming compared to Suspiria’s climax. Lam-
books as carriers of an occult and exclusive
berto was the assistant director, and he and
knowledge. Varelli’s opening monologue men-
Dario developed a strong bond, which resulted
tions the rule of silentium, “silence,” which al-
in Bava Jr. working again as a.d. on Tenebre and
chemists vow not to break, in order not to upset
Argento producing his two Dèmoni films.
profane minds with their secrets. Argento—with
The Bava connection can be stretched fur-
the amiable complicity of De Quincey—recreates
ther. With its ronde of gory knife murders,
his own surrogate of the Necronomicon, but he
always suspended between the truculent and the
also centers an entire sequence on the theft of a
ridiculous, Inferno recalls the overexcited chain
book that will cost Sara’s life, and makes one of
reaction of Reazione a catena (97), of which at
the main characters an antique book dealer, who
times it seems a supernatural remake of sorts.
is given one of the picture’s key lines of dialogue:
During a memorable sequence in La frusta e il
“The only true mystery is that our lives are gov-
corpo (963) Bava’s camera displayed the direc-
erned by dead people.” In some other director’s
tor’s disinterest toward the story, by cutting from
film this could be read as a political statement;
two characters discussing a key plot point to a
here it expresses a deeper, philosophical truth:
vase of red roses, thus turning the viewer’s at-
our very life is governed by books, which
tention from their words to the visual elements
contain nothing but the words and thoughts and
surrounding them. Here Argento does some-
dreams of dead people speaking to us from an-
thing similar in the scene where Elise explains
other age. (In the script, Argento wanted to em-
to Mark the myth of the “Three Mothers”: the
phasize the concept by having Varelli’s voice ris-
camera moves away from them and, mimicking
ing slowly in volume in the opening scene, as if
the wobbling motion of a sound wave, it ap-
coming from far, far away in the past and grad-
proaches the air ducts from where the sounds
ually approaching the viewer).
propagate in the heart of the building; Elise’s
The characters of Inferno spend their time
voice becomes confused and unintelligible, and
reading, translating, and thinking over a cultural
the audience is denied vital bits of information.
heritage that opens up an unsuspected view of
The only thing left to do is let oneself be carried
the world. They read books in Latin, the lan-
away by the mere flow of images. However, the
guage of enigmas to be weighed and interpreted.
scene is not a hint of the author’s disregard for
(In the same year, Umberto Eco published his
the narrative, but rather the sign of a rhapsodic,
best- selling period mystery Il nome della rosa,
whimsical inspiration, which leaves behind nar-
set in the Middle Ages and with a riddle in Latin
rative logic in favor of visual expression.
playing a central role in the plot.) It is as if our
And, indeed, Inferno is, in Argento’s words,
fathers had delivered to us an opaque vision of
“full of riddles that will be left mostly unex-
the world: a cataract, a veil destined to be torn
plained”40 as well as of alchemical and esoteric
from the opening of the “third eye.” However,
references, from the homage to Gurdjeff (the
awareness does not lead to superior wisdom, but
celebrative plate which signals his stay in the
rather to the astonished contemplation of the
New York building4) to the presence of the four
horror that rules our lives, as in the ineffable tri-
natural elements. Water (the descent of Rose into
umph of Death that ends the film.
the flooded room, the rain that accompanies
Inferno was released in Italy on February
Sara’s taxi ride, the murder of Kazanian in the
7, 980, to mixed reviews. Film critic Giovanni
lake); Air (the nauseating smell that pervades
Grazzini, in the Corriere della Sera, labeled it as
the areas around the houses, the irruption of the
a “fine butchery,” and even though he praised
invisible presence in the university hall, the
Argento’s direction, he judged the result as man-
28 1980: Inferno nerist and even boring, dismissing the
emphasis on gore as follows: “One
wonders whether to force the viewers
to look away from the screen and
bring them to the point of throwing
up is a merit to be proud of.”43 Tullio
Kezich complained: “Despite a few ef-
fective moments, and a few sequences
of true Fantastic cinema, there are too
many counterparts of gloomy banality,
as well as concessions to the brutal
tastes of audiences already contami-
nated by the aesthetics of hooligan-
ism.”44
During filming, Argento pointed
out that the film was “the second part
in a trilogy on modern alchemy”4
started with Suspiria, which he would
complete the following year, but he
soon abandoned the idea. The main
reason was the underwhelming box-
office grosses. The initial response was
enthusiastic: reportedly, on the night
of the premiere in Rome, the theater
owner (producer Peppino Amati) had
to give back 00 tickets because the
venue was packed full, with people
even sitting on the floor, while in
Turin, on the Sunday of its release, the
film grossed the astonishing sum of 24
million lire.46 But after the initial en-
Japanese poster for Inferno, featuring a collage of the most
thusiasm, audiences were gradually
frightening bits.
disappointed by Argento’s switch to-
ward out- and-out supernatural horror. Daria
York venue in August 986
,0 and a couple of
Nicolodi recalled that people told her, “You have
months later it was released to home video on
been Argento’s ruin, we followed him until Pro-
the subsidiary Key Video label. When asked
fondo rosso but afterwards one can’t understand
about it by Maitland McDonagh, Argento said
anything anymore.”47 The film was a good suc-
he didn’t know the reason why, but in his mem-
cess, however, and ended up at the fourteenth
oir he mentions that after the premiere Fox’s
place among the season’s top- grossers, and
head Sherry Lansing told him she didn’t like the
eighth among Italian releases of the year.48 In
movie’s narrative structure at all.2 In the end,
this respect, it was topped by seven comedies—
Inferno’s biggest virtue—freedom—turned out
such as Pasquale Festa Campanile’s Qua la
to be its commercial ruin in the States.
mano, Castellano & Pipolo’s Mani di velluto and
Argento’s next project, Oltre la morte—an
Maurizio Nichetti’s debut Ratataplan—which
80-page treatment about a cannibalistic spree
gives an idea of the commercial path taken by
Italian cinema of the period.
jected by Dino De Laurentiis and then the man-
Inferno was released theatrically all over
uscript mysteriously got lost. Soon the director
Europe49 and even in Japan, where Argento was
moved to a more traditional project, at least on
enjoying a huge cult. The response overseas was
paper: Sotto gli occhi dell’assassino, a giallo in-
disappointing, though. 20th Century–Fox did
spired by autobiographical events, namely an
not commit to a wide theatrical release, and the
anonymous phone caller who called himself
film was shelved for five years. It had a brief the-
“The Great Punisher” and made death threats
atrical release and played for one week in a New
during Argento’s stay in Los Angeles.3 It even-
1980: Inferno 29
tually became Tenebre, his most violent and
nostra signora degli orrori,” in Manlio Gomarasca and Da-
grim film to date, and one of his very best.
vide Pulici (eds.) Le tre madri. Guida alla trilogia di Dario
Argento. Nocturno Dossier #64, November 2007, 4–.
Throughout the 980s Argento sporadically
6. Dardano Sacchetti interviewed, in www. davinotti.
returned to Gothic themes. After turning his gi-
com (http://www.davinotti.com/index.php? option= com_
alli into neo- Gothic works with the uncondi-
content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=79).
tional opening to the irrational, with Phenomena
7. Manlio Gomarasca and Davide Pulici, “I testimoni,”
he took the reverse path, bringing back the
in Gomarasca and Pulici (eds.) Le tre madri, 44.
8. “After two weeks’ shooting in New York, the crew
many fantastique and fairy tale- related ideas to
of Inferno, written and directed by Dario Argento, has re-
a logical explanation: the monster of the castle
turned to Rome to shoot the interior scenes, which will
is a deformed child, the frightening matres of
last 4 weeks.” [not signed] “Kolossal dell’orrore di Dario
the previous films are replaced by a real mother,
Argento,” La Stampa, May 24, 979.
9. For instance, a piece published on May 23 in the Cor-
but no less terrifying. At the same time, the di-
riere della Sera wrote: “For four consecutive nights, at New
rector reshaped his approach to cinema and re-
York’s Central Park, there has been a simulated moon
modeled its aesthetics, with an operation of re-
eclipse … those nights the moon got dark at every take of
juvenation aimed at the teenage public. Whereas
the movie Inferno, which director Dario Argento has been
movies such as Profondo rosso, Suspiria and In-
shooting in America for some days.” Franco Occhiuzzi, “Un
inferno tutto d’Argento,” Corriere della Sera, May 23, 979.
ferno were aimed at young adults, Phenomena
10. Gomarasca and Pulici, “I testimoni,” 44.
is a giallo rereading of Suspiria in a teen- oriented
11. Paolo Mereghetti, “Dario Argento: per fare paura
key, which assimilates the language of music
ha usato anche Verdi,” Corriere d’Informazione, March 6,
videos and includes excerpts of heavy metal
980.
12. On his part, Lavia has been adamant: “Certain hor-
tracks used as an auditory counterpoint to the
ror films by Dario Argento, Profondo rosso, Inferno … have
gruesome scenes on screen. On the other hand,
become cult movies, but I did them only for money. I was
the emphasis on the maternal nature that can
paid well, and an actor doesn’t have a fixed salary… . ”
either lead to madness or perdition or otherwise
Emilia Costantini, “Gabriele Lavia. Sono innamorato dalle
give salvation, embraces an escapist Neo-
elementari,” Corriere della Sera, October 3, 207.
13. Maurizio Porro, “La Giorgi in un viaggio di ricordi,”
Romanticism with vague New Age traits. A sim-
Corriere della Sera, April 3, 979; Adele Ferrari, “Eleonora
ilar approach returns in the epilogue of Opera,
Giorgi: ‘Sono meno infantile e molto più felice,’” Corriere
an unofficial rendition of The Phantom of the
d’Informazione, May 2, 979.
Opera in which the director expresses once
14. Argento, Paura, 28.
again his passion for melodrama and tries to
16. Excerpt taken from Davide Pulici, “Inferno: dalla
make opposing tensions coexist—a giallo plot
sceneggiatura al film,” in Gomarasca and Pulici (eds.) Le
and a drive toward the irrational—in a precari-
tre madri, 37.
ous stylistic and narrative balance.
17. Gomarasca and Pulici, “I testimoni,” 4.
Argento resumed the myth of the Three
18. Fabio Maiello, Dario Argento. Confessioni di un
maestro dell’horror (Milan: Alacran, 2007), 26.
Mothers in 2007, with the third chapter in the
19. “Un brivido che si chiama Argento,” Corriere della
trilogy, La terza madre.
Sera, June 0, 979.
20. Occhiuzzi, “Un inferno tutto d’Argento.”
N
21. Argento, Paura, 23.
otes
22. Gomarasca and Pulici, “I testimoni,” 44.
1. Dario Argento, Paura (Turin: Einaudi, 204), 26.
23. Roberto Pugliese, Dario Argento (Milan: Editrice Il
2. Ibid., 23.
Castoro, [986] 20), 66.
3. Ibid., 230.
24. Kim Newman, Nightmare Movies (London: Blooms-
4. Around the same time, Salvatore Samperi was
bury, [988] 20), 47.
preparing a film to be titled Inferno, loosely inspired by
25. See Rachael Nisbet, �
�Rose Elliot’s Apartment Build-
Dante’s poem and set in the present day. The script, written
ing in Inferno,” in http:// hypnoticcrescendos. blogspot. it/
by Samperi, Giorgio Basile and Gianfranco Manfredi, was
208/ 03/ rose- elliots- apartment- building- in. html.
in the director’s own words a mixture between
26. Gomarasca and Pulici, “I testimoni,” 44.
Hellzapoppin’ and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, with
27. Mereghetti, “Dario Argento: per fare paura ha usato
strong political overtones, “a journey in the confusion of
anche Verdi.”
today’s world, especially in the left and ultra- left, also con-
28. Daniele Costantini and Francesco Dal Bosco, Nuovo
ceived as an excursion in various film genres—Western,
cinema inferno. L’opera di Dario Argento (Parma: Pratiche
giallo, romantic, etc.” Lamberto Antonelli, “Ombre rosse,
Editrice, 997), 84.
Marx e Guevara nell’Inferno visto da Samperi,” La Stampa,
29. Played by James Fleetwood, a bass singer whom Ar-
January 26, 979. Eventually Samperi (who had thought of
gento had seen in Alban Berg’s Lulu directed by Roman
Roberto Benigni for the role of Dante) abandoned the
Polanski and conducted by Christopher Keene, which
overly costly project and made the 90s revivalist comedy
caused a controversy at Spoleto’s Festival of Two Worlds,
Liquirizia instead.
in 974. Occhiuzzi, “Nasce in America l’inferno di Ar-
5. Davide Pulici and Marco Cacioppo, “Daria Nicolodi:
gento.”
30 1980: Macabro 30. Pugliese, Dario Argento, 68.
Avati; DOP: Franco Delli Colli (Kodak, Tele-
31. Maiello, Dario Argento, 37.
color); M: Ubaldo Continiello (Ed. Gipsy); E:
32. Garrone, the animal trainer for the film, also re-
Piera Gabutti; ArtD: Katia Dottori; CO: Katia
placed Sacha Pitoeff for some shots, since the rats had
started biting the actor for real. Gomarasca and Pulici, “I
Dottori, Gian Franco Basile (for Bernice
testimoni,” 49.
Stegers); MU: Alfonso Cioffi; AD: Rosanna Roc-
33. Ibid., 44.
chi Bava; SE: Antonio Corridori, Angelo Mattei;
34. Mark Davis—not Elliot—in the script.
C: Antonio Schiavo Lena; AC: Gianni Modica
35. Whereas, in a blatant inconsistency, their phone call
from New York to Rome, takes place with no apparent time
Canfarelli; AE: Carlo D’Alessandro; AsstD: Dario
zone differences.
Amadei; SO: Gianni Zampagni; SOE: Luciano