Tenebre (1982) ****
Tenebre (aka Tenebrae) (1982) holds the distinction of being both one of my top 10 Dario Argento films and top 10 gialli. It really amplifies the trademarks of the giallo—what with its almost hilariously convoluted plot mechanics and character motivations (which outdo even Agatha Christie in so far as leaving the viewer unable to guess the full extent of who killed who and why) and with its spectacularly gory deaths.
Horror tropes (reveals of killers, unreliable memory, false endings) are played with here as well, along with not-so-subtle commentary on frequent criticisms aimed at Argento himself in regard to predilections and fascinations present in his work. The film has a certain sense of humor, despite the horrific nature of the killings. It also has a ridiculously catchy theme by three core members of Goblin—Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Pignatelli, and Massimo Morante.
The cold, bright look of Tenebre stands in stark contrast to the vivid colors of Suspiria (1977) (review) (both films were shot by Luciano Tovoli) but the cinematography works for the mood and architecture of this particular piece. The action is a bit scattershot, in the way that some of the director's other '80s films are, namely Phenomena (1985) (review) and Opera (1987) (review), but somehow it still has a deliberateness that only Argento seems to be able to capture, marking it, distinctively, as a film which could only come from his mind.
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