Dario Argento – Exhibition. The master of thrills displayed in Turin – Turin

Turin – Dark, mysterious, supernatural. It is also the Turin of Argento, a magical city that was a kind of inspirational museum for the director. It’s impossible to forget the “screaming baby villa” Dark red – aka Villa Scott – has been made even more terrifying by the terrifying goblin soundtrack. Or Piazza CLN, the first scene in a long series of murders in the same feature film. From Cats with nine tails Per I can’t sleepFrom 4 gray velvet flies Per Yellow, The thrilling king seems to have chosen Turin as the set of his imagination. So it is no coincidence that the National Cinema Museum dedicated an exhibition show designed to celebrate his first twenty years at Mall Antonelliana. Initially planned for 2020, Dario Argento – Exhibition Finally tomorrow, Wednesday 6th April, opens its doors to bring back the atmosphere, nightmares and obsessions of a master of international cinema.

Solares Fondazione delle Arti, Cineteca Nazionale – In collaboration with the Experimental Center of Cinematography and numerous private collectors, curator Domenico de Gaetano and Marcelo Garofalo have put together an impressive number of videos, props and stage cosplay. Bring back the whole work of directors, screenwriters and producers who were intimidated by the B-Cinema realm on a 360-degree ride.

Original sketch of The Cat with Nine Tales. Property of Marco Strader

“Gray reality will never enter my cinema,” Dario Argento once said. The mole is implemented in Antoneliana through its cool and far-sighted universe-like cult objects. Dark redPresented at the Cinema Museum by Carlo Rambaldi, a master of special effects, or a rat-killing machine. Opera Phantom Produced by Sergio Stevelatti, starring in many Argentine films and lending to numerous parts of the exhibition, but also sketches of Bulgarian jewelry or Giorgio Armani’s costumes. Events, Not forgetting the frames where the director rediscovered the architecture of Italian cities, starting with Turin. And video of his film since thenCrystal feather birds (1970) a Black glasses (2022), recently presented at the Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, when filled with wind music, is an essential element of Argentine cinematic alchemy. “The important thing is not the story, but how it is staged,” the director explained during the presentation of the exhibition this morning, stimulating his teacher Alfred Hitchcock and the “flying camera”. Psycho“When special effects did not even exist”.

Mechanical doll by Profondo Rosso. Original artwork from the Rambladi family’s personal film collection

From Hitchcock, curator Marcelo Garofalo explains, Argento borrows and develops “mental imagery”, “introducing the audience to the film and making him an accomplice of extraordinary mistakes.” “Dario Argento teaches us to see. It works in movie formats in such a way that they are both annoying and poetic, “the magazine claimed decades ago. Cahiers do CinemaAgain quoted by Garofalo, director Mick Garris when connecting from America, series creator Masters of Horror, Praises the Roman director’s “vague style of approach”. On the other hand, the masterminds of nightmares are Transverse: Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro and even the undoubted Banana Yoshimoto.

Suspiria by Dario Argento, Italy, 1977. Poster. National Cinema Museum Collection

“Dario Argento is an internationally recognized master of cinema,” said the inspiration for the Stella della Mol Award given to the director at the opening of the exhibition. The result: a director, but also an artist, in fact his dream movie constantly interacts with other art, creating a tempting visual universe and great staging through a vital and free use of the camera. Evaluates the study between optics and psychoanalysis. In the ghostly settings of his film, he gives Turin an unprecedented and disturbing image, which enriches our attention and mystery towards the city. ”
Excited thanks to the master of fear, between the applause and the devilish notes of the goblins.

Dario Argento. Belomo Archive