Agree or disagree with this article: https://medium.com/@wewillbethestars/fairy-tales-and-final-girls-the-female-centric-suspiria-women-in-horror-series-63bc16ab1f7f
Include at least one quote from the article as well as cinematic evidence from the film to back up your statements and opinion.
Kelcie Mattson’s article regarding Dario Argento’s 1977 horror film “Suspiria” discusses the positives and negatives of how women were portrayed in the film. I agree with much of what Mattson has to say regarding her positive critiques of the film as well as some of the negative ones. Mattson’s main positive argument in her article is that “Suspiria” is a groundbreaking horror film in the sense that the film hosts an almost exclusively female cast, and the primary characters are all female. She also mentions the fact that “Suspiria” drifts away from the horror film trope that female characters are weak. Unlike films such as “Night of the Living Dead”, where male characters are presented as stronger than female characters, “Suspiria” contains a mixture of strong and weak female characters. “Suspiria” also contains female characters ranging broadly in age and size, despite the film’s lack of ethnic diversity.
ReplyDeleteOne of Mattson’s main negative arguments is that “Suspiria” favors artistry over character development. She argues that Argento overcompensates the visual aspects of the film to make up for the lack of character development and the unrealistically strict line between good and evil. I agree with Mattson’s sentiments for the most part here, however I do not think the somewhat lacking character development detracts all that much from the film’s greatness. Mattson continues by stating that while the fact that women are not sexualized to much extent in the film, glamorized brutality of the female characters is apparent and sometimes sickening. She also compares the two female deaths with the one male death: she notes that the female deaths are considerably more violent visually than the male death, which consists of more implied gore than the female deaths. I agree with Mattson in this instance, as Pat’s murder, in particular, is absurdly graphic, to the point that Argento’s tendencies to glamorize the brutality of women are obvious.
I agree with Kelcie Mattson’s article about the portrayal of women in Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977). Mattson makes two different points about the women, the first of which is that they are all strong, key players. The dancers at the Academy have a tight relationship with each other, as represented by the numerous close-up shots of all of them together, whether it was the group changing in close quarters or the intimate talks between Sara and Suzy after bedtime. In the scene where the girls are all sleeping together, it is easy to tell that the connections between them hold them together and keep them safe; when they are unified, not even the coven can touch them. However, as Mattson says, “When murders occur, they’re cued by solitude.” As soon as a girl leaves the safety of the group, she is at risk of being picked off by the other group of women, the witches. Suzy takes a bit of a risk, but she is kept safe by the dancers’ shared knowledge of the past. Even so, she narrowly escapes with her life.
ReplyDeleteThe second point Mattson made, which I agree with now that I think about it, is that the portrayal of women is very black and white, almost to a voyeuristic degree. The quote about Argento’s preferences to see pretty girls brutalized, on top of his desire to find a girl who had all the features of innocence like Jessica Harper had, definitely speaks to this idea of sexualizing the women in the film. The extreme close-up shots of Pat’s hanging body seem to imply a wandering eye’s voyeuristic gaze, and the long take of Sara struggling in the barbed wire represents the objectifying stare of an unseen onlooker. On top of that, although the female characters are strong, they are all static characters. “Some will be the heroes and some will be the villains,” as Mattson claims. Suzy is always dressed in the pure colors of white, while Madame Blanc, contrary to her name, wears a sharp suit of dark clothing throughout. Though this was supposedly done for artistic and dramatic reasons, none of the characters are given room to grow. Ironically, this dual extreme of good and evil parallels the dual treatment of how the women are portrayed.
I personally agree with the first part of this article as this movie can be considered extremely feminist. It’s always interesting to see a horror/action film be so female centric, especially since it’s more on the rare side to see women in significant roles in these types of films. Suspiria is special because, “The heroes,villains, victims, and fighters are all women.” Most heroes and villains in film are men but in Suspiria men take a backseat and have less influence on the progression of the plot. In this film women covered the whole spectrum in terms of the types of characters (hero, victim, villain, etc) and in the levels of power that these women possess.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I somewhat disagree with the latter part of this article - “the bads”. The artistic choices were a large part of this film as Argento doesn’t focus as much on lighting and color in other films and although the character development is somewhat thin, I don’t think it's lacking so the film as a whole isn’t affected. I also think that since this film is so female centric, the madonna/whore, virgin/crone dichotomy is not necessarily relevant. I do agree that Argento fetishized women’s bodies in violent scenes. Due to his quote about this issue in the past and the fact that the deaths of the male characters are mostly implied while the deaths of the female characters are extremely explicit and gruesome it's obvious that Argento commonly does this throughout the film.
I completely agree with Kelcie Matton’s article regarding Dario Argento’s “Suspiria.” Only watching the film once, I hardly even noticed what Matton acknowledges as “the bad.” But looking back on the film and Argento’s quote “I like women, especially beautiful ones. If they have a good face and figure, I would much prefer to watch them being murdered than an ugly girl or man. I certainly don’t have to justify myself to anyone about this;” I realize that the objectification of women is prominent in most films even though it may not be clear. In “Suspiria,” women are not objectified sexually, as they most often are, but the objectification of the female body is clear, as Matton points out. Despite this, “Suspiria” is not completely “bad” when it comes to women. It is a strangely heartwarming tale of female power, friendship, cooperation, support, independence, and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteIn Kelcie Mattson’s article regarding Dario Argento’s masterpiece, Suspiria, she discusses both the pros and cons of the manner in which the women are portrayed in this film, both of which I agree with. Her main, positive point focuses on the mostly female-dominated cast. She stresses how although there are a few minor male characters, they are just that: minor. They do not have a significant role in the plot of the movie. The female characters are the ones who drive the narrative forward. This female centricity is quite important because most films during this time and in the past have consisted of extremely male dominated power. Women were almost always depicted as inferior to their male counterparts and thus, as a result participated in degrading roles, emphasizing their status of inferiority. If women did have roles of any power, they were almost always portrayed negatively still, either as a villain who ultimately betrays the main male character, or as a seductress whose aim is to manipulate men. The fact that Argento defied this common practice by creating a female centric cast with strong, female leads is significant and powerful as Mattson stresses.
ReplyDeleteMattson’s main con argument regarding Suspiria is that although Argento does not explicitly sexualize women in this film through their female assets, they are degraded in the manner of mutilation. The deaths of the female characters are illuminated as “their bodies are still fetishized for the sake of glamorized beauty” (Mattson). This signifies how even though the female characters are not being sexualized, they are still being fetishized. I agree with this statement because in the film, although there was a male death, it was not explicitly shown on screen. Most of it was not graphic and was rather implied whether that be through the diegetic sound of the dog growling and biting the man. For the female deaths, they are extremely graphic such as when Sarah is cut with the barbed wire and the goriness of the scene is quite evident. The blood, screams, and mutilation of her body is illuminated to a higher degree. When Pat dies, her body is also mutilated to a great extent and her death is “one of the most famously graphic in movie history” (Mattson). This signifies how Argento’s depiction of mutilated women correlates to Mattson’s argument.
I agree with the majority of Kelcie Mattson’s points she presents in her article “Fairy Tales and Final Girls: The Female-Centric Suspiria.” She goes on to discuss the pros, and some of the cons, regarding the female-dominated cast of Dario Argento’s most famous film. Mattson touches on the female support system, which she considers a pro, formed by some of the student body. The use of this system is presented primarily through the main characters, Suzy and Sara. The scene where the girls sleep in the practice hall reinforces Mattson’s point. The glowing red backdrop offers a sense of intimacy among the women, as well as the close proximity in which the beds are placed beside one another. One shot showcases four of the girls in the beds gossiping with each other. The camera then proceeds to drift off to the right, focusing on Suzy, Sara, and their conversation. This therefore shows the general closeness among all of the girls enrolled at the academy, while emphasizing the relationship between Suzy and Sara. When the women begin to stray from their peers and this support system, bad things happen. Mattson writes, “When murders occur, they’re cued by solitude: Pat dies alone in a bathroom, separated from her friend by a locked door, and Sara dies alone outside Suzy’s room after Suzy passes out.” Female unity is focal in the film, creating a sociological message: the women of the world must stick together in order for success, or in Suspiria’s case, survival, to be achieved by at least one of them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the points brought up in Mattson’s article concerning the portrayal of female characters in Dario Argento’s Suspiria. The film’s narrative is undeniably driven by women, whether they are seen as good or evil characters. The coven of witches has set up a sinister tradition of murdering their students, and the Suzy relies on her female classmates to solve the mystery and ensure her own survival. This is unlike other films with women in leading roles because there is a sense of unity rather than just one resourceful female among many male characters. Instead, the story revolves around two groups of smart and strong female characters (the witches and the students)
ReplyDeleteI believe that Mattson is also correct when she argues that Argento’s portrayal of women is oversimplified and heavily reliant on stereotypes. She claims “the lines of good girl/bad girl are so stereotypically drawn here. The implicit suggestion that powerful women, or women who want power and wealth, are evil, is problematic enough I shouldn’t need to explain why”. Like most other female protagonists, Suzy is shown as small, innocent, and young, while the witches all appear older and more stern. This is conveyed through costume design, with Suzy often being shown in white to suggest innocence. In addition, there seems to be a connection between the witches’ desire for power and their evil actions. Argento’s use of character archetypes upholds societal double standards between powerful men and powerful women. Women in positions of power are often seen as “too mean”, but they aren't mean enough, they won’t be taken seriously. Powerful men, however, typically receive respect immediately, without having to prove that they are worthy of it. I think that it is completely valid to critique Dario Argento for portraying female characters in a very traditional way, although Mattson does note that this decision may reflect the “modern fairy tale” aesthetic of the film. Visually, it can be argued that the stereotypical representation of women adds to the film, rather than detracts from it.
Kelcie Mattson's article on Dario Argento's "Suspiria" discusses and analyzes at length the inherent dissonance of the film's simultaneous empowerment and objectification of its women. As the article points out, in a purely narrative sense the film is remarkably feminist in its structure: women and only women are the driving forces behind the plot, each named character feels fully realized as people, and most impressive of all, the final victory in the end is brought only through the collaboration and support of women with each other. Though only Suzy Bannion survives, her success was only thanks to the work of those women that uncovered the truth and sought each other prior. All these points Mattson makes can be observed objectively throughout the movie, as well as the impressions the characters gave me. I could only remember one male character once the movie had completed-the blind man in the second death scene-yet no less than five women had distinct characters and personalities within the plot.
ReplyDeleteYet, even with this empowerment in the script itself, you can't help but observe how the camera's treatment of its characters unveil a different mindset than those that wrote the script. Here again I agree with Mattson's article, which writes how though "None of the women are sexualized...their bodies are still fetishized for the sake of glamorized brutality". Indeed, one needs only look at the various murder scenes to see this in action: when the blind man is killed by his own dog, almost all the violence is implied, brief flashes at the blood and attacks in an otherwise mostly dark, close up shot scene. Yet when Pat is killed, in what can only be thought of as one of the most infamous death scenes in cinema history, the camera relishes in the cutting motions of the unknown assailant. The shots are clear, except when the color scheme takes over, and most frequently in wider or more medium shots to relish in the death. There are shots as the murderer's knife is plunged into her chest and directly into her heart, and shots as they pull her against walls and windows and confines her. The violence is not equal in its treatment, undeniably. Though Dario Argento may have made an ultimately feminist-leaning film, he could not separate himself from his camerawork and his own personal intentions are seen within the result.
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ReplyDeleteLoosely I agree with the article but I believe the writer was looking to deeply for what they wanted to see. I believe the movie to be a step forward in feminist film but nowhere near the groundbreaker the article posed it as. I especially disagree with the quote “Every character with power and agency is a woman. Men are an afterthought, narrative props.” Sure, most of the characters, and all of the main characters, were women. However I believe some of the most crucial roles were played by men.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of narrative the entire movie started with the brutal murder clearly committed by a man due to the large hands and excessive arm hair. Since she was never shown until the end, the witch was not feared because of her own power and strength but instead the violence committed by men under her employ. Later the therapist and the witch expert direct Suzy onto the right path. Suzy never believed the suspicion from her female roommate. It wasn’t until a man gave her his opinion that she could see things clearly. The question could also be raised that why in a female dominated witch culture an old man who read one book is the convincing expert.
From a technical lense, the men are clearly portrayed as the intelligent ones, evidenced by the lighting and dialogue. Particularly in the scene Suzy seeks outside help. The film is painted as a fairy tale with exaggerating light and color. Most of the movie is also rather dark and surreal. The only times the light is bright and clear is in the dance studio and the scene where Suzy speaks to the expert. Both scenes feature men. The only scene that is not eclipsed by the surreal lighting, set design, or sound, is the scene Suzy speaks with the therapist. Almost as if the male scenes were the real world and the female centric world is nothing but a dream or nightmare delegated only to the dance studio. The use of clear and realistic lighting also casted a memorable impression on the characters in the scene. It also implied an air of sophistication and intelligence. Which was also seen through dialogue. Sure, the women got more screen time but the men’s seemed to be of higher quality. For example dialogue was extremely lacking with the female characters. The uptight woman who kicked out the blind man and the tantalizing quips of Suzy’s first roommate was the extent of fresh dialogue. Whereas the supposedly unimportant man had dialogue with elegance and wit that none of the women actresses were gifted with.
All of these points are tied to the time period instead of overt sexism but this film is by no means a leader in female empowerment the article suggests. It seems that the women in the movie are the true props, scrambling around waiting for the men to give them clues, or butcher them under effervescent lighting.
Kelcie Mattson talks about the positive and negative portrayals of women in Dario Argento’s Susperia. I agree with the majority of the essay. She talks about how the cast is mainly female and how Argento uses them as the heroes and villains, and everything in between. The only men who appear have no significance to the story. Mattson states “Men are an afterthought, narrative props.” The womendominat with Suzie using her intelligence to figure out the steps that she had to take to reach the evil coven of witches that fed off of an ancient queen’s power. Women usually have to use their sexuality to overcome or be seen in movies, but Argento paints Suzie as a pure girl, mimicking Snow White by dressing her in all white. This is why I don’t agree with Mattson’s negative views on how Argento portrays the women in their deaths. She claims that he oversexualizes them, and compares it to the scene where the blind piano teacher is attacked by his dog. In this scene we get just as much gor as we see when Pat is killed. Argento may not show the man’s face, but we see the flesh being eaten, and in my opinion keeping his face offscreen during the murder keeps his character unimportant. Mattson also contradicts herself when she states “ Even the victims who die in gory technicolor are competent, resolved, resourceful fighters.” This keeps the women dignified even in their deaths and the long, struggle we see shows the fight that the women put forth all the while.
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