Review by Peter Syslo
TENEBRE (1982) is one of those films that comes with the “baggage” of hype. It is revered as a “classic” Dario Argento film and I always find the “classic” status interesting, when I do a review. To say the least, I march to the beat of my own drummer – not that I'm so cool and unconventional – but some of the time my opinions really clash with the general views of the horror community. Sometimes I feel that a “classic” or a “masterpiece” is a little overrated and I am not afraid to say so. But, in the case of TENEBRE, the praise is deserved; the film didn't have a life-changing effect upon me, but it is very good and it is very fulfilling. To sum it up, it is not 100% horror; it is (sort of) done in the Giallo style. For those who are not familiar with the term, Giallos are Italian crime/murder stories that have an exploitative edg e and a “pulp” quality to them (like a trashy detective magazine), they are named Giallos because of the yellow paper which was handed out when people advertised the films (giallo means “yellow” in Italian). So, to recap, TENEBRE is half Giallo and half horror, which turns out to be a highly enjoyable mix.
TENEBRE is written and directed by Italian icon, Dario Argento. The film stars Anthony Franciosa, Christian Borromeo, Mirella D’Angelo, Veronica Lario, Ania Pieroni, Carola Stagnaro, John Steiner, and John Saxon ( Nancy ’s dad from the NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST . films). The film also features the cool, atmospheric music of Goblin.
The picture is a little convoluted and it has a twist-ending; I will give you the basic gist of it. An American crime/horror novelist (Franciosa) travels to Italy in order to promote his most recent book, “Tenebre”. While he is there, bizarre murders start happening and the police find that the murderer appears to be a reader of the novelist (the murderer quotes some of the “Tenebre” novel and leaves pieces of the book at the scenes). The murders continue and the novelist soon becomes a suspicious character. People in his entourage (his manager, assistant, etc.) also become characters of interest and the film spawns into a “whodunit”. When the film ends, it is surprising (somewhat) and it makes for a very fresh and interesting take on the murder-myst ery.
TENEBRE was a very easy film to watch and it has a “quirkiness” to it which is irresistible. It is chock full of interesting characters, from the author himself to the colorful John Saxon as his promotional manager. All actors brought an interesting “niche” character to the film, which gave it a lot of “meat”. The murders are spectacles, which is an Argento staple (the opening kill in SUSPIRIA is one of the best on film); one of the most memorable scenes is when a girl's arm is severed by the killer's ax – she backs up against a wall and the arm stump just arcs blood on the wall behind her - very impressive effect. Argento gives each kill scene its own identity, much like Savini does in the FRIDAY THE 13th films. The gore doesn’t overshadow the story, but it does pack the punch which pushes this film from Giallo into horror territory (it is almost like a film-noir slasher).
The movie is beautifully shot, with some unconventional atmospheric elements. As is stated in the film documentary, the night shots were lit in a way to seem hyper-realistic, with no shadows, so the viewer couldn’t hide. I see what the creators were after; the night shots are seen plain as day and it is a very effective technique. The music was great (courtesy of Goblin) and it supported the film content very well. The acting was very good throughout – it was perfect for the story and the performances brought out the quirks of everyday people, which was a nice touch. Production-wise, the film is top-notch and it has a “lightning-in-a-bottle” characteristic, which Argento and crew didn’t even have to try to create – it just happened that way and it has a life of its own.
Cutting to the chase: TENEBRE lives up to its expectations, but it doesn't go beyond them. I really liked the film and I definitely recommend it, but I like it best when Argento gets “down and dirty” and creates a full-on horror film. I really have no criticism of the film; it is very well done. The only thing that I can say is that maybe the crime-drama aspects get a little repetitive in places (the cop leaning on the novelist, etc.) but that is only a minor point. The slasher elements are great, the kills are awesome, and the story is a little ahead of its time – you know, the multilevel, “story within a story” idea (there are chilling dreamlike sequences which tell the past of the novelist). TENEBRE is part of the rich history of Italian horror and a fine example of Dario Argento's work. I give it an 8/10.