Famed psychic Helga Ulmann is holding a lecture for a small gathering of interested onlookers, but in the middle of demonstrating her abilities, she senses and calls out an unknown, malevolent force in the audience. Later that evening, musician Marcus Daly walks home and witnesses Helga, who happens to be his neighbor, being brutally assaulted by a mysterious, trenchcoat-wearing assailant. Though he is too late to stop the madman from ending her life, he notices a number of clues beginning to pop up after the police arrive at the scene of the crime. It doesn't take long for this killer to strike again though, which leads to Marcus deciding to team with reporter Gianna Brezzi, and the two begin to find themselves fending for their own lives while attempting to solve these unusually violent crimes.
Last year, I managed to obtain a copy of Italian giant Dario Argento's fantastic gem Phenomena. It resulted in a review that I'm still rather proud of, and the film was easily in the top three of last year's Unseen Terror marathon. But there was something that I feel was glossed over, or worse yet, straight up forgotten about during my writings: it was my very first full-length feature that I had ever seen from the legendary director. This was a shock to not only myself, but to the few others that I regularly discuss horror with, especially since at this age, there was no excuse to wait this long. So, I figured that the need to travel back and start from the (near) beginning was a wise move. Thus, Blue Underground's copy of Profondo Rosso (a.k.a. Deep Red) found its way into my hands, and I knew that we were good to go.
To my surprise, Profondo Rosso plays out more like a murder mystery than a straight up supernatural-based horror flick such as Phenomena. This almost became an obstacle for me, but I warmed up rather quickly since it would just be plain silly to dismiss an Argento film because of something so banal. Plus, there hasn't been a single Italian entry that didn't try and incorporate elements of something related to, but not necessarily contained within horror into the genre itself (even Monster Dog attempted to throw in a lycanthropic twist towards its conclusion). That did not stop me from being a bit irked though when it came to some very small details: the movie moves a tiny bit slower than I expected it to, though I've heard that such an issue is only present in the unrated cut (which I watched) and not the theatrical one. The plot can also become a bit jumbled if you aren't dedicating your undivided attention to the project. These may just be personal nitpickings of mine, but I suspect that I won't be the only newcomer who experiences these same issues, even if they are miniscule and could likely be eliminated with repeated screenings.
With those minor complaints out of the way, we can get to the meat and potatoes of what makes this Giallo production so darn good. Dario Argento is an absolute master of setting up murders in his pictures, and the ones seen throughout Profondo Rosso are some of the more devastating-looking ones seen so far during this year's iteration of thirty-one films in thirty-one days. One particular standout moment comes in the form of a person being drowned in scalding hot bathtub water. It's very simple, but agonizingly great in its execution. There are more than a few segments and thrilling events which will elicit a quick "OH!" response from fully invested viewers and even hardened veterans similar to myself. To say that the Italians are professionals at making death look glamourous would be a massive understatement. Something that is also immediately noticeable about Profondo Rosso once it starts up is the score, which is once again provided by instrumental progressive rockers Goblin. It's arguably the best soundtrack that the group has ever provided for an entire motion picture, with the brilliant use of keyboards and synthesizers just oozing cool and emitting this real sense of dread. Making the audience feel slightly claustrophobic and as if we could be going insane ourselves is no easy task. It's coupled together with some wisely done cinematography, which comes courtesy of the late Luigi Kuveiller. The film looks gorgeous, and with smart camerawork we feel as though we're occasionally stuck in a dream (an eerily similar vibe also spotted in Phenomena). Our lead actors also play their characters well enough that they have the same amount of genuine intrigue as you do, especially David Hemmings (Blowup), who despite spouting off some pretty dated-sounding sexist lines, is easy to identify with. Daria Nicolodi, a.ka. the future Mrs. Argento (and eventual mother to the vexing Asia) is extremely charismatic and spunky, making her presence a welcome addition to keep it from being nothing but constant brooding. It's a little strange seeing her and the other members of the cast casually go back and forth between speaking Italian and English both in the same conversation for reasons that aren't fully explained, but as I said in my review of Del Toro's Cronos, if Star Wars can get away with it, then by Lemmy others should be able to as well.
Seeing as how I am still somewhat of an Argento newbie, I am hesitant to call Profondo Rosso the man's masterpiece as many before have proclaimed. Hell, I haven't even gotten to any of his other more well-known movies (yet). But it is a very well-crafted piece of art that certainly stands out in a crowd full of much simpler, safer cinematic releases. Currently, there are multiple ways for one to purchase this Italian production, including several DVD releases and a couple of Blu-rays here and there. I'd advise picking it up before someone in Hollywood decides to remake it for no reason whatsoever.
Besides, eliminating a great composition such as this for something by say, Black Veil Brides?
Yeah, that would earn you a paddlin'.
Tomorrow? Well, I'm not quite sure what we're doing. Unless I become sick, the option of attending a Gwar show in Baltimore is highly likely. Because of that, we're either going for a revisit involving an otherworldly girl and circular objects, or heading to Poland to check out some mermaids. Stay tuned to see which one it is!
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