Deep RedAttention to detail can mean the difference between life and death, as can knowing what you saw versus what you think you saw. Deep Red is an Italian giallo (psychological horror) film about British pianist, Marc Daly (David Hemmings), who witnesses a murder in the apartment below his own. Marc crosses paths with a spunky Italian reporter named Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi), who carelessly advertises that he is the surviving witness to the killing. She subsequently joins him in his investigation to uncover the killer, both to bring the murderer to justice and save him from being the next victim.
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Deep Red is a murder mystery, in addition to being a bloody and expressive horror film. An early scene features a psychic named Helga Ulmann (Macha Méril), who identifies a member of the audience as the murderer, prompting surprise and confusion. The point of view of the film shifts to that of this faceless killer, who leaves the theater and enters a unisex bathroom with a cracked and dirtied mirror. The killer often wears a pair of black, zip-up leather gloves, which further obfuscates any distinguishing features, including whether the killer is male or female. Because of the brutality of the killings, Marc--and the police--assumes that the killer must be a man by default. Although superficially harmless, Marc's sexist opinions cloud his ability to piece together the puzzle he's in, even if only by degrees; a scene where he and Gianna arm wrestle underscores how this makes him vulnerable. Deep Red frequently uses misdirection to sustain the mystery. The audience's attention is deliberately drawn away from important clues that could accurately identify the killer, or are otherwise hidden in plain sight. One of the rituals the killer performs before committing a murder is to put on eyeliner; when Gianna is first introduced, she is visibly wearing eyeliner that resembles what the killer had put on. There are several scenes where a character works out the identity of the killer through some elaborate clue--like a name scrawled on bathroom tile, only visible when steam from the bath fills the room--and that knowledge becomes a death sentence for the unfortunate party who deduced the secret before they can reveal it. The predominance of red herrings is designed to put the audience in Marc's shoes, and speaks to his nervous paranoia at being stalked by a vicious killer. Consider when Marc is composing a new piece of music at his piano, and the point of view cuts away to what must be the killer sneaking into his apartment. Marc realizes that the killer has made it into his home, but to prevent giving himself away, he continues to plink away at the keys with one hand while grabbing a statuette to wield as a weapon to defend himself with the other, sweat dripping from his brow. Marc possesses a naturally cool exterior, looking fashionable in his white suit, contrasted with his black shirt and stylish loafers. But as Gianna observes, he is a tightly wound ball of nerves; she tries to alleviate his anxiety with her carefree attitude and even with casual sex, after inadvertently endangering his life. There is a natural chemistry between Marc and Gianna, and they make a convincing romantic couple and pair of amateur sleuths.
Music is a prominent motif in Deep Red. With a score composed by Giorgio Gaslini and the rock band, Goblin, it is used to heighten the tension and add an extra dimension to both the killer and Marc. Marc is a jazz musician, and is first seen performing in an ancient-looking rotunda, with his piano pressed up against a coffin-shaped sarcophagus with the face of Jesus on it. (Deep Red was shot in Turin, Italy.) Marc shares his passion for music when Gianna asks him about why he became a pianist. He takes pride in his profession, despite the sarcastic remarks of a police detective or the misconceptions of an eccentric woman named Martha (Clara Calamai), who is the mother of a colleague of his named Carlo (Gabriele Lavia). On the night of Helga's killing, Marc meets up with the drunken Carlo, who is drowning his sorrows, offering alternately sardonic and philosophical musings about their respective styles of playing. Carlo describes his craft as work, while he describes Marc's as "art", in a way that carries an undercurrent of resentment. When Marc plays with his jazz group, he argues that their performance was "too good", claiming that it should be "dirtier" in keeping with its birthplace in brothels and other seedy locales. Despite Marc's passion for jazz, the most intense and electrifying music in Deep Red is what is played during the scenes when danger is looming. A scene shot from the killer's point of view shows a collection of childhood toys including marbles and dolls--which gradually transitions into switchblades--has music that is full of verve and suggests that the killer is "ramping up" for the savagery to come. When Marc is investigating an abandoned mansion where he believes he will discover the identity of the killer, the score is dominated by a thrumming bass line that is like a quickened heartbeat, infusing the audience with Marc's tension at being alone in a strange house, always on the verge of being ambushed. The most unusual entry in the score is a whimsical children's song that is played by the killer before a murder. Although the opening credits reveals that it is a psychological trigger--reinforcing the perception that the killer is psychologically maladjusted or schizophrenic who kills as much out of ritual as rage--it is also intended to unnerve the victim and the audience because of the paradoxically innocent-sounding melody.
Recommended for: Fans of an intense and visceral psychological horror film that showcases the most striking elements of Dario Argento's vivid style of filmmaking. Deep Red is a graphic horror film--befitting its ominous title--and is best suited for audiences that are seeking a thriller that places a premium on style and intensity over logic or tonal consistency.
Music is a prominent motif in Deep Red. With a score composed by Giorgio Gaslini and the rock band, Goblin, it is used to heighten the tension and add an extra dimension to both the killer and Marc. Marc is a jazz musician, and is first seen performing in an ancient-looking rotunda, with his piano pressed up against a coffin-shaped sarcophagus with the face of Jesus on it. (Deep Red was shot in Turin, Italy.) Marc shares his passion for music when Gianna asks him about why he became a pianist. He takes pride in his profession, despite the sarcastic remarks of a police detective or the misconceptions of an eccentric woman named Martha (Clara Calamai), who is the mother of a colleague of his named Carlo (Gabriele Lavia). On the night of Helga's killing, Marc meets up with the drunken Carlo, who is drowning his sorrows, offering alternately sardonic and philosophical musings about their respective styles of playing. Carlo describes his craft as work, while he describes Marc's as "art", in a way that carries an undercurrent of resentment. When Marc plays with his jazz group, he argues that their performance was "too good", claiming that it should be "dirtier" in keeping with its birthplace in brothels and other seedy locales. Despite Marc's passion for jazz, the most intense and electrifying music in Deep Red is what is played during the scenes when danger is looming. A scene shot from the killer's point of view shows a collection of childhood toys including marbles and dolls--which gradually transitions into switchblades--has music that is full of verve and suggests that the killer is "ramping up" for the savagery to come. When Marc is investigating an abandoned mansion where he believes he will discover the identity of the killer, the score is dominated by a thrumming bass line that is like a quickened heartbeat, infusing the audience with Marc's tension at being alone in a strange house, always on the verge of being ambushed. The most unusual entry in the score is a whimsical children's song that is played by the killer before a murder. Although the opening credits reveals that it is a psychological trigger--reinforcing the perception that the killer is psychologically maladjusted or schizophrenic who kills as much out of ritual as rage--it is also intended to unnerve the victim and the audience because of the paradoxically innocent-sounding melody.
Recommended for: Fans of an intense and visceral psychological horror film that showcases the most striking elements of Dario Argento's vivid style of filmmaking. Deep Red is a graphic horror film--befitting its ominous title--and is best suited for audiences that are seeking a thriller that places a premium on style and intensity over logic or tonal consistency.