Deep Red (1975)
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Umbrella Entertainment (Australia). Region 4, PAL. 2.35:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 2.0. English Subtitles. 125 minutes |
The Movie |
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Credits |
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: David Hemmings,
Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Macha Meril, Eros
Pagani
Screenplay: Dario Argento,
Bernadino Zapponi
Country: Italy
AKA: Profondo Rosso
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Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) is a British-born,
American-raised Jazz pianist based in Rome. During
a night on the town with his bandmate and friend
Carlo (Gabriele Lavia) he witnesses a brutal murder
of a woman at a window in his apartment building.
Whilst being questioned by police at the crime scene
he encounters Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi), a
feisty investigative reporter. Together, they become
obsessed with solving the crime, which escalates
with subsequent gruesome murders. Before long, the
mysterious killer begins stalking Marcus and Gianna
and the blood flows...
One of Argento's best thrillers, Deep
Red is a classic of the Giallo genre.
Like much of the Italian maestro's work,
this is a thriller that works with an almost dreamlike
logic. Filled with disturbing, memorable imagery
(the nightmarish mechanical doll is a standout),
gruesome murders and bravura camerawork, Deep
Red works best on an emotional level.
The actual mystery is not as tight as it could
be and some of the dialogue is a touch stilted
(a casualty of translation, no doubt) but that
can be overlooked as the film is so incredibly
stylish and well-crafted. David Hemmings of Blow-Up notoriety is terrific as the pianist and has a
great chemistry with Daria Nicolodi (who in real
life became the director's partner for many
years). While most of the supporting Italian cast
are dubbed (and with American accents, despite
playing Italians) they still make a strong impression,
particularly Gabriele Lavia as the boozy Carlo.
This edition of Deep Red was
reconstructed in 2000 by filmmaker/DVD guru/Argento
admirer William Lustig, restoring 12 minutes of
previously cut footage. This mainly restores little
character moments throughout rather than much
in the way of plot. These scenes only exist with
Italian audio and are presented with English subtitles.
One guesses that the approach MGM later took in
rounding up surviving actors and sound-alikes
to re-dub the extended footage in their restoration
of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly either wasn't considered or was too costly.
Given that David Hemmings passed away in 2003
this is a bit of a missed opportunity. However
the change in language from scene to scene isn't
that much of a distraction once you get used to
it. |
Video |
Deep Red is presented in its
original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and one really can't
imagine viewing this film any other way. After years
of pan and scan video releases Argento's compositions
(via Luigi Kuveiller's camerawork) finally
get room to breathe and look truly amazing. This
is a generally clear transfer with only one major
downside. The transfer is an NTSC to PAL conversion
and carries the visual gremlins inherent in such
a process, such as a distinct softness to the image
and reds (how about that?) that look occasionally
garish and unnatural. All that aside, this is certainly
the best the film has looked in Region 4. |
Audio |
Dolby 2.0 Stereo is what you get here. The audio
is a mixed bag for a variety of reasons. Like many
Italian films of the period with multi-lingual casts,
some actors have been filmed in English and others
in Italian, with all the audio looped into English
in post production. As such, audio sync varies wildly
throughout. In the 12 minutes of reinstated footage,
characters who've been speaking English suddenly
lapse into Italian, sometimes mid-sentence. Also,
given the film's age, some of the audio is
a touch muffled from time-to-time, especially in
later scenes where Goblin's electronic music
score is featured. |
Extra Features |
A solid, if eclectic selection is on offer.
Dario Argento: An Eye for Horror (56.49, 4x3
Letterbox) - This is an excellent British-made
documentary covering Argento's life and
career, which is included on all of Umbrella's
Argento DVDs. Every one of Argento's films
is covered right up to the production of Sleepless.
Argento's daughters Fiore and Asia give
some insight into Dario's personality, whilst
John Carpenter and George A Romero are among the
filmmakers who offer some critique on his creative
methodologies. The concluding anecdote by Michael
Brandon (star of Four Flies on Grey Velvet)
is worth the price of admission alone. Great stuff.
Dario Argento Interview (12.59, 4x3 Full Frame)
- Not so much an interview as a promotional video
for Argento's Profondo Rosso store and museum.
A dubbed (and very badly translated) Argento speaks
a bit about his career (with the titles of his
early films mistranslated into The Cat
With Nine Tails and Four Grey
Velvet Flies!) then goes on to plug his
little shop of horrors. We also get brief interviews
with Goblin front man Claudio Simmonetti and the
store's co-owner, director/FX man Luigi
Cozzi. Mostly, we get footage of the shop, which
is located in Rome, its wares and an appearance
by Tim Burton. The address and details of the
shop turn up on screen frequently and the whole
thing becomes very dull.
25th Anniversary Featurette. (10.50, 4X3 Windowboxed)
- Now this is the business. Assembled in 2000
by Anchor Bay, this is an extremely interesting
retrospective on the film. Argento, co-writer
Bernardino Zapponi and the members of Goblin weigh
in with their memories of the films development,
production and reception. There are many fascinating
stories to be had here. An enjoyable and very
worthwhile featurette.
American Trailer (2.43 16:9) and Italian Trailer
(1.51 4x3 Letterbox): If you ever wanted a textbook
comparison between how Americans and Italians
market their movies, look no further. The American
Trailer is all sound, fury and spoilers (do not
watch this before you see the film!), and sells
the film as pure schlock. The Italian trailer
is another matter entirely. There is no dialogue,
just eerie sounds and lingering images as the
cast names silently appear on screen. Subtle,
elegant and very unsettling.
Bonus Argento Tailers: Promos for The
Bird With The Crystal Plumage, The
Cat O' Nine Tails, Tenebrae and Phenomena round out the package. |
The Verdict |
Deep Red is as vivid as its title.
A stunningly directed, genuinely unsettling thriller
that ranks as one of the best Italian horror films
ever. Umbrella's DVD has its flaws, but is
uncut and has enough interesting features to make
it well worth your time and spare change.
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