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1996 - 119m.
Italy

When one looks at the resume of Dario Argento, it is pretty damn stellar. Every movie that is on it has something to offer and I have enjoyed his work throughout his career. Unfortunately, many genre fans began to lose interest in their Eurohorror god after Opera came out in 1987. I admit, I am guilty of listening to the hype that said that he "lost it" after that film and that all of his post-Opera work was not very good. While admittedly, Argento's take on Phantom of the Opera in 1998 was not among his best films, I didn't think that it was as bad as some people made it out to be. I also thought the Jenifer episode of "Masters of Horror" was pretty cool as well even though it did not have that distinctive Argento stamp on it. All of this being said, I have decided to see for myself if the rest of the maestro's latter day flicks are as bad as people say. If The Stendhal Syndrome is any indication, the nay-sayers are dead wrong.

Dario's daughter, Asia, stars as Anna, a policewoman who is on the trail of a serial rapist/killer who has been targeting women throughout Italy. The movie opens in Florence, where she has tracked him to an art gallery. Inside, she becomes engrossed in a painting and passes out. A kind man helps her out and she soon realizes that she does not remember who she is. After visiting a psychiatrist, Anna finds that she has a temporary afflication called the Stendhal Syndrome in which a person can get overwhelmed and mentally lost within certain pieces of art. Shortly after this incident, Anna is raped by the villain and is told by her superiors to take a leave back to her hometown where, unbeknowst to her, she will get closer to the killer than she ever wanted to. So begins Anna's descent into madness as she finds herself hallucinating and changing her personality throughout the film as she is drawn into the killer's world both mentally and physically.

This is one of Argento's most interesting movies. It is one of those films that feels like it has way more going on than you are experiencing during the initial viewing. The picture is permeated by various works of art throughout which made me feel like I was playing a game at times in that I found myself trying to spot the artwork and then figure out how it related to the scene. It may have been there for no reason but, knowing Argento, there was a symbolic meaning for every piece.

The cast of this film is particularly impressive. Asia carries an extremely difficult character with ease and draws the viewer into her world. I found myself both sympathizing with her and trying to figure her out throught the film which made a lengthy sequence where she was tied to a matress while the villian has his way with her all the more difficult to watch. In addition to Asia, Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong) is very convincing as the cold and brutal rapist who who often punches his victims in the face as he is attacking them. The fact that he is a good-looking young man somehow adds to the viciousness of these acts as well as the many victim point-of-view shots that Argento employs during these sequences. Marco Leonardi (From Dusk Till Dawn 3) is also good was as Asia's cop friend/former lover who is caught in the middle and constantly tries to help her out of her situation.

I just want to put it out there to Eurohorror fans that Argento did not start to suck after Opera. He just slightly changed his direction from wildly inventive shots (which are still there) to a story laden with symbolism and characterization. There are still a few set pieces to keep the old-school fans pleased and the movie is visually stunning from start to finish. As mentioned before, his use of the art pieces throughout the backgrounds of many scenes always provides something to look at (that is, if you could take your eyes off of Asia). The only advice I can give to Dario about what to do in the future is to stay away from CGI. The few scenes in this movie that use it do not belong in an Argento film. That being said, I am excited to see Mother of Tears and can't wait to see how Giallo turns out. Dario has definitely not "lost it", he has just changed his ways a little bit. (Josh Pasnak, 9/24/08)

Directed By: Dario Argento.
Written By: Dario Argento.

Starring: Asia Argento, Thomas Kretschmann, Marco Leonardi, Luigi Diberti.