1/23/06

Tenebre (Dario Argento, 1982)

Dario Argento's Tenebre (1982) is better than I remember it. It doesn't have Deep Red's shocking pallette of colors, but I thought the mystery was more coherent and more ingenious all around, even if Tony Franciosa's character didn't make much sense; the surprise coda was surprisingly well done.

On my first viewing years ago I thought it was muddy-looking and ridiculous; I suppose since then I've become a lot more tolerant of Argento's excesses and the pristine DVD transfer did a lot to correct my impression of muddiness.

Also possible I saw a severely cut version (appropriate, when you think about it); I don't remember the film having this much blood, and there's one "OH SHIT!" moment involving a woman seated with a gun in her hand that I definitely would have remembered, if I had seen it.

I like the way he weaves in a reference to The Hound of Baskervilles; I wish he would have the doberman figure more in the plot (can't believe a dog can be that determined without being trained to do so--to pursue an intended target), but the chase sequence itself is well shot and paced, and the dog is an amazing jumper.

Overall--pretty damned good. Maybe one of his best, I think; probably the best of his non-supernatural films.

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