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Dario Argento’s Suspiria is a murder mystery that reveals a supernatural undertone through its unique colors and tones.
Dario Argento’s Suspiria is a film that captures the trippy atmosphere of 1970s euro horror. The film tells the story of a girl named Suzy Bannion who travels to a Tanz Dance Akademie ballet school where only the best attend. At first, it seems extremely strict, but as Suspiria progresses, a murder mystery arises that reveals something more sinister is afoot. While the twist doesn’t come until later, the hints are showcased subtly through its set design.
In Suspiria‘s climax, it’s revealed the Tanz is actually a coven for witches who kill young women if they delve too closely into their occult affairs. The outside of the school is surprisingly tame in its design as it acts as a way to lull new students into a false sense of security. However, each room becomes more and more disorienting due to its geometric pattern and bright colors. It presents the idea that the school has its own personality and casts a spell to trap the young women.
One perspective for the maze-like set design could be that the stresses of being a ballerina and the strict schedule affect Suzy mentally. However, it becomes clear that the cost of her passion is not the cause as others begin to disappear or are found dead. In fact, some of the best uses of set design and color are found during the kills. For example, when Suzy’s friend Sara begins to snoop, she realizes her sleuthing has been discovered.
While in her room, the witch’s influence is noted by a room bathed in a green hue. As she enters the hallway outside of her room, the area is covered in red to signify the danger within. Finally, the room where she is inevitably killed is covered in a calming blue, tricking her into a sense of safety before being attacked and eventually becoming another victim.
Using primary colors in the scene, Argento conveys Sara’s emotions without uttering a word and shows how much power the witches have over the school. Adding to the idea is the revelation that everything appears normal any time the film leaves its walls. This is represented through the locations, which feature modern architecture for the time and traditional lighting or natural light. The difference in presentation makes the Tanz Dance Akademie feel more like a different dimension than a ballet school.
To help ensure that the students don’t escape, the witches continuously drug the girls not have the energy to discover the secrets hiding just below the surface. However, when Suzy finally breaks the spell and stops eating their “diet restricted” meals, the danger becomes clear. The drugged tea she is drinking has a hue of red that stains the sink, representing how difficult it is to escape the danger she is in.
But what makes the effects of the school even more intriguing is that once she is of sound mind and finds her way to the witches’ coven, the environment becomes less maze-like, and the sets are less colorful and disorienting. It shows how Suzy is free of the school’s hold and how much of it was only a facade to keep her trapped.
Suspiria‘s set design is a masterpiece in nonverbal storytelling. It highlights how color and the look of a location can instantly affect the emotional state of the characters and viewers. As a result, the film tells an underlying story of the Tanz Dance Akademie, a school that is more of a living incantation than a building that traps and confuses its inhabitants. However, once that spell is broken, the terrifying reality can be shown.
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