On December 24, 1971, the third horror film by a young Roman director came out in Italian cinemas, Dario Argento At the time he was 31 years old, today 84 entitled four gray velvet flies. In practice, the third and last chapter of the so -called animal trilogy on February 19, 1970 had made her debut with the bird with crystal feathers, on February 12, 1971 she had repeated with the nine -queue cat two works that had made him known and appreciated especially abroad. A very important work for silver because he gave him the first, true, great success also from us. That film, which has as its protagonist a drummer threatened with death by a mysterious character (in the end he will be discovered to be his wife), has just been restored by the Cineteca di Bologna Foundation, in collaboration with Surf Film and with the contribution of the Ministry of Culture: on July 14 he will be again in theaters.
What effect does it make them return to the market with a title of almost 54 years ago?
“I do not know. I honestly can’t hear something special than the other time. When it came out I was very pressed by the anxiety and thought of a thousand contradictions ».
What does it mean?
“I was a bit shaken for personal reasons. I remember well that when we did the first projection, after the end of the processing, I had my wife near (Marisa Casale, mother of her firstborn flower, 53 years old, the second, Asia, 49, was born from her relationship with Daria Nicolodi, ed) and every now and then I threw my eye on her to try to understand what she thought of it “.
And what did he see?
“Nothing. I saw her very closed in itself and did not understand why she had that attitude. Then, after the film, after the somewhat obvious compliments of those present, especially professionals, she approached and burned me said to me: “What did I do? Why do you have it so much with me? What happened to us as a couple?”. Instinctively I thought he was behaving like a little out of his mind, then I started thinking about it: in fact the protagonist resembled a lot of me. And in the end what he wanted to kill him was his wife … and the actress I had chosen was a blonde with short hair who remembered my wife very much (the American Mimsy Farmer, ed.). It wasn’t wanted, but it was so. In addition to telling about a husband and a wife who know nothing about each other, something unconsciously had wanted to tell her ».
What?
«Our love was over. In fact, shortly after, we left each other. The malaise was there, we knew it, and I evidently the aevo pulled out in that way. Of course, when I started thinking about the film, I just wanted to do it differently: fresh and very musical, thanks to the ultra -modern soundtrack of the great Ennio Morricone. Everything else has come to the race ».
What is the title of that trilogy to which it is most fond?
“Just four gray velvet flies. He has always given me many satisfactions: in 1971 I was young and in Italy few knew me, also because the critics of our house until then did not consider me – which made me really feel bad – unlike their French and American colleagues. Do you think that the bird from crystal feathers came to the first place in the collections of collections, what never happened to an Italian film first ».
So they finally noticed her?
“Let’s say that after four gray velvet flies they began to change approach, striving to understand my artistic world, my way of shooting and what I wanted to tell in my films.”
But after the release of that film the young people of the Dams of Bologna treated her badly, right?
“Yes. There was an episode that irritated me a lot. They invited me to the university for the first time to talk about my films and I gladly accepted. The classroom was full of students all elegant and precise clothes, completely different from me. In short, absolute strangers. Unpleasant questions began to ask me, with a tone of honestly unbearable superiority. Then at a certain point someone intervened who said sufficiently: “Guys, why do you throw yourself against this film? It will not be a masterpiece, but it is still an Italian, poor, and we can also accept it …” ».
And law?
“I take the floor and reply:” Poor? I made a movie, who asked for a lot of study and effort, and you welcome me like this? Do you know it is there? You all go fuck “. I turned around and went to the hotel. They could not treat me like this ».
Reactions?
“That I know, none.”
Absolutely among his works is there one who deserved more?
“Certain. Opera of 1987. I committed myself a lot to turn it but was not understood by the public and critics. I’m so sorry that one day, alone – as I have always done in my life – I went to India and Nepal to recover from the disappointment. They are beautiful countries where I am always good. After almost two months, to return to Rome, I stopped for a few days in Los Angeles. There, walking, by pure chance I met a very popular Scottish film critic, Alan Jones, who later also wrote a couple of books about me. On the street, immediately, he told me that it was beautiful: “In London he is having a huge success”. Are you sure? I said. In Italy they massacred me … he was right, fortunately ».
In 2018 Luca Guadagnino shot the remake of his 1977 masterpiece, “Suspiria”, on a dance school governed by horrible witches: if he could save him or is it okay?
“He could save him. He did another thing, a little messy. It was not the case to bother Suspiria ».
Is there a director who would like it if, in a different way, perhaps involving it, faced one of his titles?
«No, frankly I don’t care that someone makes remake of my films. Everyone must tell their stories, their nightmares, their madness ».
When do they materialize?
«Almost always at night. In the sleeping, in the subconscious, in that middle ground between consciousness and unconsciousness. Freud said that this is the moment when dreams, anxieties and memories find themselves giving life to wonderful and upsetting events at the same time. Sometimes, if I missed the inspiration to write a movie, I spread on the sofa, I got a blanket on my knees and ended my eyes. Thus the fantasy was turned on ».
Many consider it a master, others a bizarre guy, others still a little out of his mind: what do you think?
«Honestly, the judgment of others is never interested in. After turning the first works I immediately focus on that the critics did not grasp the innovation I was bringing to the cinema with my stories. And so I have no longer read what they produced on my account, except for the books that I still consult more than anything else for study reasons. What the spectators of my films say, however, intrigues me: there are always surprises ».
By the way, a series was announced last February, produced by Titanus, taken from its 1985 “Phenomena”: will it really be done or not? Did the project stop?
«It is under development, but at the moment I don’t know where it is. I will be involved more when it will enter the production phase ».
It will make a new movie or is it okay, is there a time for everything and this is that of the well -deserved rest?
“I have two ideas on site also for the direction: one in Italy and one in France, but I cannot reveal anything else”.
They all ask him: what is fear for her?
“I don’t know anymore. Is it a mood that arises from the deep or a mysterious feeling? I don’t know how to frame her: she company all my life has been company. Some pretend that it is not there, instead I embraced it ».
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