Inferno (1980 film)

Infobox_Film
name = Inferno


caption = Italian 1-sheet theatrical poster
director = Dario Argento
producer = Claudio Argento
writer = Dario Argento
starring = Irene Miracle
Leigh McCloskey
Eleonora Giorgi
Daria Nicolodi
Alida Valli
music = Keith Emerson
cinematography = Romano Albani
distributor = Twentieth-Century Fox
released = 1980; August 15, 1986 (U.S. theatrical; limited)cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=1986 U.S. Film Releases By Company|pages=92|publisher=Variety|date=1987-01-14|url=|accessdate=]
runtime = 107 min
language = English
budget = US$ 3,000,000
amg_id = 1:24825
imdb_id = 0080923
preceded_by = "Suspiria"
followed_by = "The Mother of Tears" |

"Inferno" is a 1980 Italian supernatural horror film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Irene Miracle, Leigh McCloskey, Eleonora Giorgi, Daria Nicolodi, and Alida Valli. The cinematography was by Romano Albani, and Keith Emerson composed the film's thunderous musical score. The convoluted story concerns a young man's investigation into the disappearance of his sister, who had been living in a New York City apartment building that also served as a home for a powerful, centuries-old witch.

A thematic sequel to "Suspiria" (1977), the film is the second part of Argento's "The Three Mothers Trilogy". The long-delayed concluding entry, "The Mother of Tears", was released in 2007. All three films are partially derived from the concept of "Our Ladies of Sorrow" ("Mater Lachrymarum", "Mater Suspiriorum", and "Mater Tenebrarum") originally devised by Thomas de Quincey in his book "Suspiria de Profundis" (1845).

Unlike "Suspiria", "Inferno" received a very limited theatrical release and the film was unable to match the box-office success of its predecessor. While the initial critical response to the film was mostly negative, its reputation has improved considerably over the years. Kim Newman has called it "...perhaps the most underrated horror movie of the 1980’s.”Newman, Kim. "The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural", edited by Jack Sullivan, Viking Penguin Inc., 1986. ISBN 0-670-80902-0 (Reprinted by Random House Value Publishing, 1989, ISBN 0-517-61852-4) ] In 2005, the magazine "Total Film" named "Inferno" one of the 50 greatest horror films of all time. [cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/movie_news/the_50_greatest_horror_movies_of_all_time|title=Shock Horror! Total Film Proudly Hails The 50 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time |accessdate = 2007-08-01|first=|last=|publisher=Total Film]

Plot

Rose Elliot (Miracle), a poet living alone in New York City, discovers an ancient book called "The Three Mothers". It tells of the existence of three evil sisters who rule the world with sorrow, tears, and darkness. The book, written by an architect named Varelli, reveals that the three dwell inside separate homes that had been specially designed and built for them by the architect in Rome, Freiburg, and New York. Rose suspects that she is living in one of the buildings and writes to her brother Mark (McCloskey), a music student in Rome, urging him to visit her. Using clues provided in Varelli's book as a guide, Rose searches the cellar of her building and discovers a hole in the floor which leads to a water-filled ballroom. After accidentally dropping her keys into the water, she enters the flooded room. Swimming under the surface, she sees a portrait bearing the words "Mater Tenebrarum" and is able to reclaim the keys. A putrid corpse suddenly rises from the depths, frightening her. She escapes, although a shadowy figure watches her leave the basement.

In Rome, Mark attempts to read Rose's letter during class. He is distracted by the intense gaze of a beautiful student (Ania Pieroni). When the class ends she leaves suddenly; Mark follows, leaving the letter behind. His friend Sara (Eleonora Giorgi) picks up the letter, and eventually reads it. Horrified by the letter's contents, she takes a taxi to a library and locates a copy of "The Three Mothers". While looking for an exit, Sara is attacked by a monstrous figure who recognizes the book. She throws the book to the ground and escapes. Later that night, she seeks the company of a neighbor, Carlo (Gabriele Lavia) and both are stabbed to death by a gloved killer. Mark discovers the bodies and two torn fragments from Rose's letter. After the police arrive, he walks out of Sara's apartment and sees a taxi slowly driving by. In it is the music student, staring at him intently once again.

Mark telephones Rose but is unable to hear her clearly. He promises to visit just before the connection fails. Cut off, Rose sees two shadowy figures preparing to enter her apartment. She leaves through a back door, but is followed. In a decrepit room, she is grabbed from behind by a clawed assailant and brutally murdered.Upon arriving in New York, Mark meets some of the residents of Rose's building, including a nurse (Veronica Lazar) who is caring for the elderly Professor Arnold (Feodor Chaliapin, Jr.), a wheelchair-bound mute. Mark learns from the sickly Countess Elise (Nicolodi) that Rose has disappeared. Elise explains how Rose had been acting strangely. After the two find blood on the carpet outside Rose's room, Mark follows the stains. He suddenly becomes ill and falls unconscious. Elise sees a black-robed figure dragging Mark away, but the figure suddenly stops and gives chase to Elise. She is attacked by dozens of cats, who bite and claw at her flesh. The hooded figure then stabs her to death. Mark staggers to the house's foyer where the nurse and caretaker (Valli) put him to bed.

The next day, Mark asks Kazanian (Sacha Pitoëff), the antique dealer who sold Rose "The Three Mothers", about Rose. However, the man provides no information. That night, Kazanian drowns several cats in a Central Park pond and accidentally falls into the water. Hundreds of rats from a nearby drain crawl all over him, gnawing his flesh. A hot dog vendor hears Kazanian's cries and rushes over. The man kills Kazanian with a knife.

Carol, the caretaker, discovers the horribly mutilated corpse of Elise's butler (Leopoldo Mastelloni) in the Countess' apartment. Shocked, she drops a lit candle which starts a fire. Attempting to put out the flames, she becomes entangled in burning draperies and falls from a window to her death. Meanwhile, Mark uses a clue from Rose's letter to discover that beneath each floor is a secret crawl space. He follows the hidden passages to a suite of rooms where he finds Professor Arnold. The old man reveals, via a mechanical voice generator, that he is in fact Varelli. He tries to kill Mark with a hypodermic injection. During the struggle, Varelli's neck becomes caught in his vocal apparatus, choking him. Mark frees him, only to be told by the dying man, "Even now you are being watched." Mark follows a shadowy figure watching him from the doorway to a lavishly furnished chamber, where he finds Varelli's nurse. Laughing maniacally, she explains to him with growing intensity that she is Mater Tenebrarum. She suddenly transforms into Death Personified. However, the fire that has consumed much of the building enables Mark's escape from the witch's den. As the structural integrity of Tenebrarum's home fails, debris crashes down on the fiend, destroying her.

Production

In 1977, "Suspiria" had been an unexpectedly big box office hit for Twentieth-Century Fox, released in the U.S. under their "International Classics" banner. Capitalizing on the commercial success of the film, Argento and Daria Nicolodi, who had co-written the screenplay, announced that "Suspiria" was only the first of a proposed trilogy, which they referred to as "The Three Mothers" trilogy.Lucas, Tim. "Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark", Video Watchdog, 2007. ISBN 0-9633756-1-X] The basic concept of all three films is derived from Thomas de Quincey's "Suspiria de Profundis", a sequel to his "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater". A prose poem of the book entitled "Levana and Our Ladies of Sorrow", details how, just as there are three Fates and three Graces, there are also three Sorrows: "Mater Lachrymarum" ("The Lady of Tears"), "Mater Suspiriorum" ("The Lady of Sighs"), and "Mater Tenebrarum" ("The Lady of Darkness").McDonagh, Maitland. "Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento", Citadel Press, 1994. ISBN 0-9517012-4-X] As the title suggests, "Suspiria" focused on Mater Suspiriorum, and the evil sister featured in "Inferno" is Mater Tenebrarum. The concluding chapter of Argento's trilogy, "The Mother of Tears" (2007), is about Mater Lachrymarum. [cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117952237.html?categoryid=13&cs=1|title=Argento Toplines "Mother of Tears"
accessdate=2007-01-19|first=Nick|last=Vivarelli|publisher=Variety.com]

When Argento proposed "Inferno" as his follow-up to "Suspiria", Twentieth-Century Fox agreed to co-finance the production. The film was budgeted at US$3,000,000, and producer Claudio Argento secured additional co-production money from Italian and German consortiums.Lucas, Tim. "Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark", Video Watchdog, 2007. ISBN 0-9633756-1-X] Nicolodi devised the original story concept, but received no on-screen credit for her work on the screenplay. Nicolodi explained that she did not seek credit because "having fought so hard to see my humble but excellent work in "Suspiria" recognized (up until a few days before the première I didn't know if I would see my name in the film credits), I didn't want to live through that again, so I said, 'Do as you please, in any case, the story will talk for me because I wrote it.'"Nicolodi, Daria. Interview published in "Spaghetti Nightmares", Fantasma Books, 1996. ISBN 0-9634982-7-4] Working from Nicolodi's original story notes, Argento wrote the screenplay while staying in a New York hotel room with a view of Central Park.Lucas, Tim. "Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark", Video Watchdog, 2007. ISBN 0-9633756-1-X]

The filming of "Inferno" took place mainly on interior studio sets in Rome [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080923/locations |title= Filming Locations for "Inferno" (1980)|accessdate=2007-07-13|first=|last=|publisher=Internet Movie Database] but a short amount of time was also set aside for location shooting in New York, including Central Park.McDonagh, Maitland. "Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento", Citadel Press, 1994. ISBN 0-9517012-4-X] [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080923/locations |title= Filming Locations for "Inferno" (1980)|accessdate=2007-07-13|first=|last=|publisher=Internet Movie Database] Sacha Pitoëff's death scene was filmed on location in Central Park during the summer of 1979. William Lustig, who was credited as the film's Production Coordinator, recalled:

They filmed the actor carrying a bag that contained some kind of moving mechanism, to make it look like it was full of cats. He walked into the lake, pushed the bag underwater, and fell in. At that point, some phony, mechanical rats were attached to him for closeups. When the guy at the hamburger stand runs over the lake... that guy was actually running on a plexiglass bridge under the water; it made it look like he was actually running across the surface of the lake. All of the stuff with the live rats was shot back in Europe.Lucas, Tim. "Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark", Video Watchdog, 2007. ISBN 0-9633756-1-X]

Argento invited his mentor, Mario Bava, to provide some of the optical effects, matte paintings, and trick shots for the film. Some of the cityscape views seen in "Inferno" were actually tabletop skyscrapers built by Bava out of milk cartons covered with photographs. The apartment building that Rose lived in was in fact only a partial set built in the studio -- it was a few floors high and had to be visually augmented with a small sculpture constructed by Bava. This sculpture was set aflame toward the end of production and served as the burning building seen in the climax. [cite web|url=http://www.videowatchdog.com/home/home.html|last=Lucas|first=Tim|title= INFERNO Question|publisher=Video Watchdog.com, "Bava Book Update", March 20, 2006|accessdate=2006-12-09] Bava also provided some second unit direction for the production. Maitland McDonagh has suggested that Bava had his hand in the celebrated watery ballroom scene,McDonagh, Maitland. "Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento", Citadel Press, 1994. ISBN 0-9517012-4-X] but that sequence was shot in a water tank by Gianlorenzo Battaglia, without any optical effects work at all. [cite web|url=http://www.videowatchdog.com/home/home.html|last=Lucas|first=Tim|title= INFERNO Question|publisher=Video Watchdog.com, "Bava Book Update", March 20, 2006|accessdate=2006-12-09] Bava's son, Lamberto Bava, was the film's assistant director. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080923/fullcredits |title= Full cast and crew for "Inferno" (1980)|accessdate=2007-05-25|first=|last=|publisher=Internet Movie Database]

The film's fiery final sequence was shot without a stunt performer filling in for Leigh McCloskey. After the production's principal photography had been completed, the film's producer, Claudio Argento, asked if McCloskey would be willing to perform the stuntwork himself, as the stuntman hired for the job had broken his leg. The producer assured the actor: "It'll be absolutely safe." The actor agreed, and when he walked onto the set the following day he observed "three rows of flexiglass in front of everything and everyone is wearing hard hats. I'm the only guy standing on the other side of this!...Needless to say, I did it all on instinct...I still feel that blast of the door blowing by me. When they tell you in words, its one thing, but when you feel that glass go flying past you with a sound like a Harrier jet, you never forget it!" McCloskey, Leigh. "Inferno" DVD, Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2000, interview with the actor included in the liner notes. ASIN: 6305807930]

During the film's production, Argento became stricken with a severe case of hepatitis, and had to direct some sequences while lying on his back. At one point, the illness became so painful that he was bed-ridden for a few days; filming was then restricted to second unit work, some of it done by Mario Bava. Argento has repeatedly called "Inferno" one of the least favorite of his films, as his memories of the movie are tainted by his recollection of the painful illness he suffered.Lucas, Tim. "Mario Bava All the Colors of the Dark", Video Watchdog, 2007. ISBN 0-9633756-1-X]

Cast

*Irene Miracle as Rose Elliott
*Leigh McCloskey as Mark Elliott
*Eleonora Giorgi as Sara
*Daria Nicolodi as Elise Stallone Van Adler
*Sacha Pitoëff as Kazanian
*Alida Valli as Carol, the caretaker
*Veronica Lazar as The Nurse
*Gabriele Lavia as Carlo
*Feodor Chaliapin, Jr. as Prof. Arnold/Dr. Varelli
*Leopoldo Mastelloni as John, the butler
*Ania Pieroni as The music student
*James Fleetwood as Cook
*Rosario Rigutini as Man
*Ryan Hilliard as Shadow
*Paolo Paoloni as Music teacher
*Fulvio Mingozzi as Taxi driver
*Luigi Lodoli as Bookbinder
*Rodolfo Lodi as Old man

Response

For reasons never specified, Fox did not commit to a wide theatrical release of "Inferno" in the United States. In an interview with Maitland McDonagh, Argento speculated that Fox's decision was made due to an abrupt change in management at the studio that left "Inferno" and several dozen other films in limbo as a result of them having been greenlighted by the previous management.McDonagh, Maitland. "Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento", Citadel Press, 1994. ISBN 0-9517012-4-X] The movie sat on the shelf for five years and was released straight to videotape in 1985 via the studio’s Key Video subsidiary. The following year, it had a belated theatrical release by Fox, playing for a one week engagement in a New York City movie theatre. [cite web|url=http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=1&res=9A0DEEDF1538F936A2575BC0A960948260&oref=slogin|last=Darnton|first=Nina|title= "Inferno", Mythic Horror Tale|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2006-01-18] Worldwide, the film only had a very abbreviated and minimal theatrical release. Consequently, "Inferno" was not a commercial success."The Art of Darkness, The Cinema of Dario Argento", edited by Chris Gallant. Fab Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0952926092. According to Chris Gallant, "Inferno" "performed reasonably well in Italy", earning enough to become the ninth highest grossing picture of 1980.]

Initial critical response was fairly muted. Several reviewers expressed disappointment, comparing the film unfavorably to the much more bombastic "Suspiria". Scott Meek in "Time Out" said that of the two movies, "Inferno" was “…a much more conventional and unexciting piece of work…the meandering narrative confusions are amplified by weak performances.” [cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/film/75993.html|last=Meek|first=Scott|title= "Inferno" Review|publisher=Time Out|accessdate=2006-12-09] In a review that was later reprinted in McDonagh's critically acclaimed "Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento" (1994), "Variety" said "Inferno" was “A lavish, no-holds-barred witch story whose lack of both logic and technical skill are submerged in the sheer energy of the telling”, then complained that the film “fails mainly because it lacks restraint in setting up the terrifying moment, using close-ups and fancy camera angles gratuitously and with no relevance to the story.”Unknown reviewer. "Variety" review of "Inferno" quoted in "Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento", Citadel Press, 1994. ISBN 0-9517012-4-X] Reviewing the film during its brief theatrical release in 1986, Nina Darnton of "The New York Times" noted, "The movie's distinguishing feature is not the number or variety of horrible murders, but the length of time it takes for the victims to die. This is a technique that may have been borrowed from Italian opera, but without the music, it loses some of its panache....The film...is shot in vivid colors, at some striking angles, and the background music is Verdi rather than heavy metal. But the script and acting are largely routine." [cite web|url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A0DEEDF1538F936A2575BC0A960948260 |last=Darnton|first=Nina|title= "Inferno", Mythic Horror Tale|publisher=New York Times, review dated August 15, 1986|accessdate=2008-06-30]

"Inferno" continues to have a mixed critical reputation. The film has a 56% favorable rating on the "Tomatometer" at Rotten Tomatoes, out of nine reviewers. [cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010548-inferno/|last=|first=|title="Inferno" (1978)|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=2007-03-03] But several critics have praised the film. Upon its initial release on videotape, Tim Lucas in "The Video Watchdog Book" said “The movie is terrific, much more exciting than most contemporary horror video releases…”Lucas, Tim. "The Video Watchdog Book", Video Watchdog, 1992. ISBN 0-9633756-0-1] Kim Newman, in "The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural", noted that "Inferno" was “…a dazzling series of set pieces designed to give the impression that the real world is terrifying, beautiful, erotic and dangerous…"Inferno" is a masterpiece of absolute film, and perhaps the most underrated horror movie of the 1980’s.”Newman, Kim. "The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural", edited by Jack Sullivan, Viking Penguin Inc., 1986. ISBN 0-670-80902-0 (Reprinted by Random House Value Publishing, 1989, ISBN 0-517-61852-4) ] Nathaniel Thompson, reviewing the DVD of the film on his "Mondo Digital" website, said it was "a dazzling, stylish feast loaded with some of Argento's strongest visual strokes of genius. Designed more or less as a sequel to "Suspiria" (which focused on Mater Suspiriorum, or the Mother of Sighs), "Inferno" is a more challenging and languid affair..." [cite web|url=http://www.mondo-digital.com/argento2.html|last=Thompson|first=Nathaniel|title="Inferno" DVD Review|publisher=Mondo Digital|accessdate=2006-07-14] Shane Dallmann noted on "Images Journal" that "Inferno" is a film of sparse plot and indelible imagery...the combination of lighting, camerawork, design, decoration, and shock effects is indescribable in print but will not soon be forgotten by anyone who experiences it...."Inferno" functions on the level of a nightmare in all respects. Disturbing, unexplained images, such as a brief shot of a young woman hanging herself, occasionally punctuate the on-screen action, while the characters find themselves unable to react appropriately to the situations they encounter." [cite web|url=http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue09/reviews/inferno/|last=Dallmann|first=Shane|title="Inferno" DVD Review|publisher=Images Journal|accessdate=2007-01-22]

oundtrack

Dario Argento chose Prog rocker Keith Emerson to compose "Inferno"'s soundtrack because he "wanted a different sort of score [from Goblin's work on "Suspiria"] , a more delicate one". [cite web|url=http://www.argento.vervost.de/argento/interview_inferno.html|last=Argento|first=Dario|title=Interview with Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi Taken from FANGORIA Magazine - Volume #35 Issue 4|publisher=Master of Colors Dario Argento website|accessdate=2006-05-28]

Argento prominently featured a selection from Giuseppe Verdi's "Nabucco" throughout "Inferno": the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves ("Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate") from scene 2 of the opera's third act. In two instances, a recording of the Sinphonic Orchestra and Chorus of Rome was used."Inferno" end film credits, taken from the Anchor Bay Entertainment DVD.] Argento also tasked Emerson with including the piece in his soundtrack. He re-orchestrated "Va, pensiero..." in five-four time to mimic a "fast and bumpy" taxi ride through Rome.Jones, Alan. "Profondo Argento: The Man, The Myths And The Magic". Godalming, UK: FAB Press, 2004. Page 116. ISBN 1-903-25423-X] When Argento reviewed Emerson's progress he did not initially recognize the remix, but was later pleased to discover it was used for Sara's taxi ride.

A soundtrack album was originally released as an LP by the Cinevox label in 1981. In 2000, Cinevox released an expanded version of the album on CD.

Emerson's music met with a mixed response from critics, some of whom compared it unfavorably to Goblin's score for "Suspiria". "Time Out"'s Scott Meek noted that "Argento's own over-the-top score [for "Suspiria"] has been replaced by religioso thunderings from the keyboards of Keith Emerson". [cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/film/75993.html|last=Meek|first=Scott|title= "Inferno" Review|publisher=Time Out|accessdate=2006-12-09] A review of the 2000 Cinevox CD from Allmusic notes, "The keyboard selections are rather unremarkable, except for the finale, "Cigarettes, Ice, Etc.," on which Emerson uses his full keyboard arsenal to excellent effect. Unfortunately, the choral segments sound rather pretentious and dated." [cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wif8zf02eh6k|last=Dryden|first=Ken|title="Inferno" (Original Score)|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=2006-07-16] In a review of the Anchor Bay DVD, Michael Mackenzie of "DVD Times" opined, "The music is more or less adequate and at times adds to the tension, but it frequently contradicts what is happening on-screen, and is certainly nothing when compared to Goblin's soundtrack for "Suspiria"." [cite web|url=http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=6356|last=Mackenzie|first=Michael|title="Inferno"|publisher=DVD Times|accessdate=2007-06-01] While Guido Henkel of the "DVD Review" website wrote that Emerson's score was "a beautiful and impressive piece", he felt that " [t] he music is poorly spotted and too often cues are placed where they shouldn’t be, or placed so that they actually break tension rather than help building it." [cite web|url=http://www.dvdreview.com/fullreviews/inferno.shtml|last=Henkel|first=Guido|title="Inferno"|publisher=DVD Review|accessdate=2007-06-01]

References

External links

*imdb title|id= 0080923 |title=Inferno
* [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=A24825 All Movie Guide: "Inferno" entry]
* [http://www.kinoeye.org/02/11/castricano11.php "Kinoeye" article on "Inferno"]
* [http://www.alsolikelife.com/shooting/?p=138 "Shooting Down Pictures" essay re: "Inferno"]
* [http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=66237 Review of the 2007 20th Century Fox DVD] at DVD Times.