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36 Extraordinary Color Photos From the Set of “Suspiria” (1977), the Most Insane Horror Movie Ever Made

Suspiria is a 1977 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Dario Argento, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daria Nicolodi, partially based on Thomas De Quincey’s 1845 essay Suspiria de Profundis. The film stars Jessica Harper as an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious European dance academy but realizes, after a series of murders, that the academy is a front for a coven of witches. It also features Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Alida Valli, Udo Kier, and Joan Bennett, in her final film role.

The majority of Suspiria was shot at De Paoli studios in Rome, where key exterior sets (including the façade of the academy) were constructed. Actress Harper described the film shoot as “very, very focused,” as Argento “knew exactly what he was looking for.” The façade of the academy was replicated on a soundstage from the real-life Whale House in Freiburg. Additional photography took place in Munich, including Daniel’s death scene in the Königsplatz square, as well as the opening scene of the film, which was shot on location at the Munich-Riem Airport (closed in 1992). The scene in which Suzy meets with Dr. Mandel was filmed outside the BMW Headquarters building in Munich.

The film is renowned for its hyper-saturated colors, particularly reds and greens, and its use of bold lighting, giving it a dreamlike, almost nightmarish quality. Argento drew inspiration from fairy tales, which is reflected in the film’s surreal aesthetics. Commenting on the film’s lush colors, Argento said: “We were trying to reproduce the color of Walt Disney’s Snow White; it has been said from the beginning that Technicolor lacked subdued shades, [and] was without nuances—like cut-out cartoons.”

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