Suspiria 2018

Suspiria is a 2018 supernatural arthouse horror film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by David Kajganich and is a remake of the 1977 film of the same name. Set in 1977, the film centres around a young American woman named Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) career roles at a prestigious dance Academy in Berlin which turns out to be run by coven of witches. The basic plot of the film is the same however, what makes the remake different is the films depth commenting on motherhood, the abuse of power and the national guilt of Germany in a post-world war two world.

In the remake, the film takes place during the Cold War. This further highlights the key theme within the film green tension, paranoia, and the idea of who and who not to trust. Also, unlike the original the film is desaturated of colour as a clear use of distancing from the original source material making this film its own unique vision. The film showcases more psychological depth in the original with one of the characters Patricia being a psychiatric patient. This fits very much in line with one of the key themes of the film being dealing with past trauma of World War II and the current trauma of the Cold War environment. The psychiatrist Dr. Josef Klemperer believes that witches are a manifestation of the mind. Patricia states that the witches have been underground since the war. This is symbolic of Germany’s national defeat showcasing the national guilt at the time for the atrocities they have committed and the abuse of power in which the military, government and higher-ups have condoned this behaviour.

Within the remake the psychological manipulation of the witches is a concept taken more seriously. As well as this motherhood is a big theme rain throughout this period as many of the characters fear Helene and Marco’s the mother of the carbon. This theme of motherhood is seen throughout the film such as a plaque in one of the characters rooms that reads “a mother is a woman who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take”. This lines up with the themes of the film being how many characters search horror identity and meaning within their lives and grasp onto the figures of the dance Academy as they are mothers. Within the post was set in Germany has very little and within the Cold War people are trying to find a meaning to their own existence as within this film which takes the form of the witches. Germany is in a power struggle between its holding new self and trying to find its footing in the world while still stumbling in the shadow of its past. This is further clearly shown as Susy dressed in a traditional fashion walks past a group of punks.

The coven showcases their power in the dance interview where Susy dances like she is possessed, this further showcases the idea of the collected for women like mothers and the dancers like children. The abuse of power and national guilt is further shown with mad and blank keeping the company going. War is the influences used in order to feed the coven’s needs a almost feminist like allegory. These post-war anxieties are further shown with a bomb going off in the street highlighting the national guilt of Germany as a fight amongst one another still being affected by the scars of the past. This national guilt reflects, and the Cold War setting reflects a key theme rain throughout the film being the idea of not being able to trust anyone and having to view people as potential enemies. Post-war national guilt and motherhood are two of the biggest themes since Hesperia with the witches wanting to live on and motherhood being. On some of the characters showcasing atypical feminine fear within horror. However, in the backdrop of this maternal fear so superior is a film steeped heavily in a 1970s post-war German aesthetic. Highlighting the national guilt of Germany in losing your love ones and grappling with the effects of war, as the boarding school is reminiscent of an evacuee house aligning with the more aesthetic.

These two themes complement each other well with my damn blank acting as a mother figure to the lost children guiding them to fulfil her own goal like a leader of a witches cult, is further showcased by the dancing being reminiscent to that of a magical ritual. This further links into the idea of national guilt as people throughout the film want to change things for the better. Germany and by extension the world still in the mix of the Cold War was spluttering in a post-World War II environment trying to find some meaning in their lives. When Susy dances older who is in another room gets dragged around like Susy is controlling her causing Olga to die. This further reinforces the theme of motherhood as madam blanc acts like a dominant mother punishing the children who leave her flop and the safety of the nest. As she believes she is protecting them from the dangers of post-war Germany highlighting the abuse of power, paralleling how the witches controlled the dancers to German commanders in World War II, this is further reinforced by the idea of Susy being American and not being able to study German speaks to Jamie trying to find its footing out of the shadow of its past. When the coven sticks hoax inside Holga and dragged her away it further shows the abuse of power. In the film Madam Blank protects and controls Susy and by extension all the first students like a mother protects her children further highlighting the abuse of power is in a post-war parentless environment which is taking advantage of their vulnerable ability in order to control them. This abuse of power this further showcased by Sarah’s abuse at the hands of her mother, further highlighting motherhood as a key theme throughout Suspiria.

These themes of the abuse power and motherhood are shown throughout the film. Such is the witches controlling the police the dance Susy performs on the floor symbolising her rebirth as well as the abuse of power at the hands of Helene and Marcus with themes such as Navajos and pregnancy been central to the film. This theme of motherhood comes up again the witches debating on what to do with Susy. Madam Blanc wants to keep Susy for herself showcasing the theme of motherhood and wanting to indoctrinate her as part of the coven. Bannon on the other hand believes she should be given over to Moteher Marcos highlighting the abuse of power at the hands of authority figures at the time. Susy’s surreal dream that follows further showcases themes of motherhood and the abuse of power with Madam Blanc trying to brainwash her through these visions.

National guilt is further shown in the film with the radio broadcast stating the release of RAF prisons. As the professor goes to the police station the film further showcases a Germany’s still spluttering in World War II with the theme of being suspicious to others and viewing people as potentially dangerous. However, the film seems to suggest that society must overcome these problems to forge a better word world such as when it’s revealed that the detective helped the professor’s wife out of Poland. As Susy and Dr Kepler argue with one another Susy tries to change dance. However Kepler argues back with Susy demanding not to change it as the dance and by extension the scene symbolises the abuse of power the witches and by extension Germany used to have as well as the national guilt of Germany is passed in changing a historic dance thereby eradicating the history. The doctor believes that the dance Academy is hiding something as evidenced by Patricia’s delusion of which is further highlighting the abuse of power.

When Susy and Madam Blanc talk to each other film shows that Susy views as more of a teacher and a mother figure. These themes of motherhood are further shown as she guides her through the dance as Susy herself states “I want to be this company’s hands”. Through the abuse of power, the witch’s act as parental guidance to the young and naïve in a world which has landed them giving them a false sense of hope only to be used and abused by a system of oppression. This idea of national guilt is further exemplified with the witches are blaming Lucy for joining the revolutionaries, whilst the theme of motherhood also comes into play with madam blank using Susie as a vessel to deliver Helene and Marcos. With the abuse of power and national guilt being shown with the girls being trapped and hearing weird noises and stories of the week she is hiding away underground motherhood is seen as the first main theme in the film. The film explains that the three mothers are the free highest ranked witches of all and that’s mother Suspiria was one of them, however Maco’s and Blanc abuse their power to create division within the ranks. This division reflects the national guilt of Germany with the three mothers and the witches being metaphor for Germany’s role during the war and the guilt the country still has with its past.

With the witches taping up the room like a pentagram, the fear of motherhood as is further reinforced with Susy stating that her mother fought with her as a sin. The other main themes in the film being national guilt and the abuse of power are also further reinforced when the radio states that the German rebel forces hijacked a plane and killed RAF members. With the dance students in dresses and make-up as they perform to further affect the idea of witches, Patricia becomes zombified further showcasing the abuse of power throughout the film. The fact that this dance was made in 1948 further indicates the idea of national guilt and confronting the tragedies of the past a common theme throughout the film. In the performance they dance very much like they are casting a spell, and it is in this scene that Sarah is controls and injuries from this highlighting the abuse of power theme throughout the film. Sarah ends up dying from her injuries, as Susy is comforted by madam blank further cementing the theme of motherhood.

As opposed to the original Susy’s change throughout the film into a more powerful and somewhat antagonistic character makes the remake of cis. Into more of a black swan-esque thriller, then a traditional 70s Giallo horror film as seen in the original. As Dr Joesf Kelepepter is shown to have grown to care for Susy to an extent, Susy and the others are reborn anew showcasing her mother daughter-esque relationship she has with madame Blanc. Joesf and his wife yankie then reunite after having issues with getting her into the country showcasing the national guilt of Germany post World War II environment. Susy then goes over to the witches who interacting a weird ritual with a kidnapped Joesf to get Mother Marco to fall strength further highlighting themes of motherhood and the abuse of power. This abuse of power is further shown when Helena Marcos Kills Madame Blanc, in destroying the mother figure Susy rejects Madame Blanc mother figure and accepts the motherhood of the witches.

With the film bathed in a red glow like the original, Susy is revealed to be mother Suspiria and kills the fake mother in the form of Helene Marcus showcasing a rejection of falsified motherhood and how it relates to the abuse of power. This is further shown by her demon killing of the other witches, as she rips open her heart ingesting the power of the coven showcasing a perverse form of motherhood as well as her abuse of power. She then enacts mercy killings on her friends showing through the symbolism of motherhood that she does care about them, which is further cemented by the witches letting Josef go and is the company carrying on as normal. The final scene mother Suspiria in the body of Susy and Josef make peace with one another. She tells him what happens to his wife again highlighting the abuse of power and national guilt felt by Germany at that time. This is followed by her wiping his memories. The message of the film seems to be that shame is needed to remember the past, but Josef does not deserve that burden and instead will carry. However, with the heart carved in the wall at the end it showcases that within everyone the memories and burdens of the past will still be there.

Suspiria is a film about the abuse of power both relating in a wider sense to the historical national guilt of Germany post World War II and the role of motherhood within society and how role such as these can also be exploited through the abuse of power. However, instead of wallowing in despair Susprira seems to suggest that as much as people cannot forget the horrors of past they are a necessary evil in order to learn from these mistakes and to create a better future.