When you watch a lot of movies, it means you also rewatch a lot of movies. You even rewatch movies you didn’t like to see if a fresh look will yield better results, if you’ll suddenly get what all the fuss is about. That’s me watching Italian films of the 1970s, especially Dario Argento films, and of those films there is none I have revisited more than Deep Red. That includes different cuts of the film, from an American VHS that runs around 90min to a High Definition cut – called Profondo Rosso – that runs 2hrs. When this project first started in 2021, the film was one of the Top 50 Pantheon Picks, which was a reason to look at it again.
Part of what draws me back to Argento is that he’s really trying. He doesn’t just make slashers, he makes murder mysteries. Too bad the killer usually turns out to be someone so far in the background their unseen presence and ability to be everywhere necessary makes them highly unlikely. He doesn’t just go for the violence, there’s usually a splash of style, often undone by the cheese of low budgets and unpolished makeup effects.
Deep Red doesn’t have the bold colors of Suspiria (#45), but really none of Argento’s other films do. (And why is that? It’s that film’s best quality.) So Deep Red can be seen as more sophisticated, highbrow work, especially in the complete two-hour cut. It’s easy to see what was never intended for American release, that’s when the film slips into Italian with English subtitles. I can’t say that any of the edits were bad ideas, but it does create more of a fancy meal instead of fast food.
There are a couple of clever clues, the murders are well staged and there’s a super freaky bit with a mechanical doll. The film also features a score by Goblin, which is a mix of awesome and cheesy. Like most of Argento’s best films, there’s a lot here I want to praise but the narrative never comes together to create a satisfying experience.
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