DEEP RED (PROFONDO ROSSO)

Deep Red (Profondo Rosso) is a 1975 Italian film directed by Dario Argento. The movie is a perfect specimen of the thriller/horror genre which developed in the mid 60s and 70s Italy known as the ‘Giallo’. Argento is one of the best exponents of this genre and here we find the Italian master craftsman at the height of his powers.

                The tone of the movie is set in the opening credits itself when we witness a horrific murder scene in silhouette with a lullaby playing in the background. Years later a psychic Helga Ulmann holds a lecture in an auditorium where she senses that a murderer is present in the audience. But before she could identify the murderer, the killer slips away. Later that night the killer returns to her flat and attacks her with a butcher knife. The murder is witnessed by a pianist Marcus Daly (David Hemmings). He rushes to the rescue of Ulmann but the killer has already left after butchering her.  Later while recording his statement to the police Marcus finds something missing from the hallway of the deceased which is decorated with various paintings. He could not quite put his finger to what is amiss and asks the police inspector if they have removed some painting from the hallway. The policeman denies any such act but still some uneasiness remains in the mind of Marcus. Later when he discusses the case with his drunkard friend Carlo, the latter suggests that it may be something important. Meanwhile a journalist Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi) snaps a picture of Marcus and publishes it in the newspaper describing Marcus as eyewitness to the murder. Bodies pile up as the killer comes back for Marcus. Marcus and Gianna form a partnership and start investigating the murders. Their investigations leads them to a haunted house with a dark past. The final solution and the way it is arrived at is brilliant and reminds one of the ingenious endings of the Agatha Christie novels.

               

From the first scene itself the director captures the attention of the audience and he maintains that grip till the last scene is enacted. The body count is substantial and the murder scenes are bloody and horrific. The puppet scene, the drowning in hot water, the final death of the murderer are horrific. What adds to the horror is the haunting background music by Italian band Goblin and Giorgio Gaslini. The track ‘School at Night’ with which the movie opens is in the form of a child’s lullaby which is both soothing and chilling at the same time. It gives us the goosebumps each time the murderer plays it before killing someone. Some relief is provided by the light hearted banter between Marcus (Hemmings) and Gianna (Nicolodi). (The original Italian version of the film is about two hours, but the US version is about twenty minutes short as most of the scenes between Hemmings and Nicolodi were removed at the time of US release.)

                The movie  has withstood the test of time. Even after forty years of its release it still enthralls the audiences. It keeps them guessing about the identity of the murderer and when the final piece to the puzzle is provided it leaves them dumbfounded. This is a must watch for the lovers of murder mystery.