Dario Argento
1. Use of 1st Person Perspective: It all got started with his Giallo (Italian suspense film) work in the early '70s. Going as far as more recent films like The Stendhaal Syndrome (1996), he has continued to use it. Most people know this for being used in the seminal film Halloween (1975), not realizing that it actually goes back to Peeping Tom (1964) and Blood and Black Lace (1968). Enough film history. Just watch it in action.
2. Long, tracking shots: Dario is the master of doing these without being boring. It's hard to explain why these work so well. Simply put, they keep you looking until- BAM! -the killer strikes. Good uses are the 'dog scene' in Suspiria and this one. Watch from 1:35 on and see.
3. Bloody, bloody deaths: This man knows how to kill people. He loves to show murders, even past the point that most people may like. He challenges you to go past your comfort zones and not look away. This will give you an idea...
So that's just a taste of what to expect from an Argento film. The key thing to understand is that in a good Argento film, you never know what to expect.
2. Long, tracking shots: Dario is the master of doing these without being boring. It's hard to explain why these work so well. Simply put, they keep you looking until- BAM! -the killer strikes. Good uses are the 'dog scene' in Suspiria and this one. Watch from 1:35 on and see.
3. Bloody, bloody deaths: This man knows how to kill people. He loves to show murders, even past the point that most people may like. He challenges you to go past your comfort zones and not look away. This will give you an idea...
4. Animals Galore: One of the more subtle themes in Dario's movies. His first films consist of the 'Animal Trilogy': Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Four Flies on Gray Velvet and Cat O'Nine Tails- and it does not end there. A dog kills a man in Suspiria, animals are killed (in the story) in Inferno and monkeys are also prevalent. Monkeys play an integral role in two of his films- Phenomena and The Mother of Tears. My favorite is the evil dog from Tenebre seen here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtsw3Z5uKUc
5. Superflous titling: Somehow Dario Argento's movie titles do not make all that much sense in regards to the film. Bird with the Crystal Plumage's title comes from the titular animal's presence and how it helps them find the killer. Um...okay. Tenebre is the name of the main character's most recent book which he is in Italy to promote. I guess that works.So that's just a taste of what to expect from an Argento film. The key thing to understand is that in a good Argento film, you never know what to expect.
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