Rijndri Load of rubbish!!

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Aspen Orson There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

moonspinner55 Dario Argento is the prince of the stylish Italian screamer, a filmmaker of such superior technical skill that often his uncanny sense of place, knack at combining location with ambiance, and ability at staging an extravagant, bloody crime scene takes precedence over his murder-mystery plots. With "Deep Red", which Argento co-wrote with Bernardino Zapponi, the master director stumbles a bit. His methodical pacing and mounting of the story is probably akin to Hitchcock--Hitch took his time with his mysteries, too--and both men are nearly unequaled in the art of the visual over the verbal, but overstretching scenes such as the investigation of a weathered old building or a school at night are dawdled over until impatience sets in. David Hemmings plays a jazz pianist and music teacher in Rome who witnesses a murder, that of a psychic who saw death coming but not necessarily to herself; he reports it to the police, however a missing part of the investigation--the disappearance of a painting Hemmings saw at the scene of the crime--intrigues him enough to pursue the killer on his own. The double-reveal finale isn't especially clever (it takes Hemmings too long to figure out the flaw in the first reveal), although it does allow Argento to stage an additional blood-red sequence that boasts macabre showmanship and an amusingly twisted imagination. Hemmings, less callow here and more handsome than usual, does a lot of sleuthing but not much real acting; supporting cast solid. For die-hard genre buffs, good stuff. Watch out for that mechanical clown! ** from ****

oOoBarracuda If someone were to ask me a month ago who the master of horror was, I would have immediately answered Wes Craven, without hesitation; I can no longer make such a hasty claim. My first stab (see what I did there? I know, awful joke) at a Dario Argento film has me absolutely thirsting for more. I have never seen a more perfect horror film than I have seen in Argento's 1975 feature, Deep Red. Starring David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, and Gabriele Lavia, Deep Red follows a man who witnesses a murder, then takes it upon himself to try to solve the crime. With a striking display of camera work unlike that of any I had ever before seen, Deep Red is a cinematic achievement certain to stay with the viewer long after one finishes the film. Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) is an English pianist living and working for a time in Italy when he witnesses the murder of a famous psychic from the street. When he rushes up to her apartment and sees the killer has already fled the scene, he decides to team up with a local reporter in an attempt to solve the crime. Following whatever Marcus deems as a clue, which is most often several pieces of unrelated information, he is determined to uncover the identity of the unknown murderer. Marcus decompresses the clues he thinks he is finding with his friend Carlo (Gabriele Lavia) who he ran into in the street immediately after witnessing the murder. Being as Carlo is most often drunk, he is deemed no help by Marcus, so he and the reporter follow the trail of breadcrumbs they believe to be clues hoping to stop the murderer before they strike again. Amadeus taught me that lighting can be a character in a film, Eraserhead taught me that sound can act as a character in a film, Deep Red has taught me that the camera can be a character in a film as well. Many shots look to be shot with a hand-held camera, even dialogue scenes, creating a moving and engaging film that the audience feels like a participant in rather than a spectator. Another question I would have answered quickly a month ago would be: who is the master of the tracking shot? In response, I would have quickly answered Martin Scorsese or David Lynch. Again, I may need to amend that response, as Argento's camera work, especially his tracking shots, are a complete art form in itself throughout the entirety of Deep Red. Argento also frames his shots exceptionally well, drawing the eye of the audience to the flitters of red he dazzles throughout the film. Much like David Lynch's Blue Velvet, Argento crafts a fine film of a man in the middle of a mystery who cannot stand but to be a part of its unfolding. The most fantastic part of the film is how well Argento shifts between suspense and horror, he does this so effectively that even if the audience knows something is coming, they have no idea what it is that is on the horizon. Divine camera work, a riveting plot, and the best horror score I have heard since Jaws, Dario Argento's Deep Red is a new horror favorite, leaving me anxious to see more of his work.

Mark Burden The Best thing about this film is David Hemmings who has obviously kept himself in good trim following his rise to stardom in Blowup - the rest of what's going on here is a massive pile of fame hungry people happy to create a pile of manure to theoretically appease/please/and or stimulate what they imagine to be a brain dead audience in the need for something that's obviously derived from Freddie Francis' 1966 The Psychopath - but can't come close. The cameraman and sound man both deserve a day off on full pay because they did well here - but the director - oh my dear - what on earth does he imagine passes for either suspense or horror - reading previous reviews I understand his forte is comedy - and that does come across best here - if Benny Hill had gone into giallo (whatever that is) then this bloke would be a natural.

Michael_Elliott Deep Red (1975) *** 1/2 (out of 4) -126 minute cut*** (out of 4) -105 minute English version Dario Argento's giallo about a musician (David Hemmings) in Italy who witnesses a woman get brutally murdered so he teams up with a journalist (Daria Nicolodi) to try and find out who the maniac is. DEEP RED, or PROFONDO ROSSO if you prefer, is certainly one of the most popular giallo films ever made but I think the quality of it is going to depend on which version you watch. Obviously the original American cut under THE HATCHET MURDERS title should be avoided since it loses nearly thirty-minutes worth of footage plus the majority of the gore. The 126-minute directors cut is actually the best version but for this review I watched the recently released "uncut English version," which clocks in at 105-minutes and features all the gore. I thought I'd enjoy this version the most but I must admit that the back-and-forth between Hemmings and Nicolodi was actually fun and with it missing here there's just a certain charm that the film is missing. The majority of the footage missing in this version is the back-and-forth flirting between the two and some character development. I know several people prefer this version but I think I'll go with the longer version on future viewings. As for the film, there's no question that it's a work of art as Argento's style is certainly at the top of his game and especially the magnificent cinematography. I especially love all the close-up scans of the floor where we see various items including the now somewhat legendary doll. There's also the masterful score from Goblin, which is just downright perfect and really sets the mood and atmosphere for the entire picture. Then there's the violence, which is certainly shocking at times but this is just Argento all the way. Both Hemmings and Nicolodi actually turn in good performances and they help carry the picture even when the story isn't the strongest. DEEP RED certainly deserves its reputation as one of the better giallo films out there but pick your version carefully.