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Inferno

1980
7
Director: 
Dario Argento

SYNOPSIS: 

Rose Elliot, a young New York poet, buys an ancient book called The Three Mothers, written by Emilio Varelli, an architect alchemist whose tracks have been lost. The book tells that Varelli met the three mothers of the Underworld.

REVIEW: 

Inferno is the second chapter of the famous Three Mothers trilogy by Dario Argento, a work that fits into the esoteric horror genre with a strong visual and symbolic structure. Shot partly in the evocative setting of Rome, the film is configured as an intricate narrative and sensorial labyrinth, capable of surprising the viewer with sudden twists and disturbing atmospheres. However, despite the high technical and stylistic quality, the ending is perhaps the least convincing element of the entire film.

The main strength of Inferno lies precisely in Argento's directorial mastery, who abandons the lively and psychedelic color palette of Suspiria to adopt a photography dominated by intense red and blue filters. This choice gives the film a hypnotic and dreamlike aesthetic, with images of extraordinary visual beauty. Many sequences are true works of art in motion, capable of leaving an indelible mark on the viewer's memory.

On the sound front, however, Inferno disappoints expectations. If in Suspiria the Goblin soundtrack was essential in creating a sense of anguish and alienation, here the choice to entrust the music to Keith Emerson, an icon of British progressive rock, does not produce the same effect. Despite the composer's technical solidity, his sounds are not in tune with the atmosphere of the film, and not even the inclusion of operatic pieces by Giuseppe Verdi manages to fill this gap.

Ultimately, Inferno is a fascinating and technically impeccable horror film, a visionary journey between esotericism and baroque suggestions, which conquers above all for its visual power but leaves some reservations on the musical and narrative level.

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