Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989)

by Roberto Curti

  adverse situation with danger inside as well as

  school class, a photographer doing a fashion photo

  outside. Let’s say something like Alien, with the

  shoot with some models, as well as many visitors

  plane instead of the spaceship and the demons

  and people in prayer. Ewald injures the sacristan,

  replacing the nasty big bug.”4

  infecting him. In turn, the man infects other vis-

  Argento and Bava even announced the

  itors, then commits suicide. His blood activates a

  news on television, during the TV show Giallo,

  mechanism which locks the church doors and

  where Argento was one of the hosts. But, even

  traps all its visitors inside. A young priest, Father

  after several drafts, they could not come up with

  Gus, realizes that evil has been unleashed inside

  a fully satisfying script. According to Sacchetti,

  the cathedral, where the visitors are killing each

  the story didn’t work well because of the setting.

  other, and he finds out that the place has a secret

  “There is not much possibility of movement in-

  self- destructing system. Ewald, who has turned

  side a plane: the characters couldn’t run from

  into a demonic creature, mates with Lisa during

  one side to the other or act with freedom of

  an esoteric ritual. After saving little Lotte, the sac-

  movement in that secluded space. Moreover, we

  ristan’s daughter and the only one not yet infected,

  didn’t have a clear idea of how many characters

  Father Gus activates the self- destruction mecha-

  would be inside the plane, and if the demons

  nism… .

  could break through the cockpit and get in. On

  In an interview with Lamberto Bava

  top of that: how would the ending be? … Given

  recorded on January 22, 988, discussing the

  such an amount of unanswered questions, we

  enormous success of Dèmoni, journalist Alberto

  gave up.” Argento, initially enthusiastic about

  Morsiani noted: “It is also quite rare that an Ital-

  the idea, grew disillusioned with it, too.

  ian horror movie had a sequel, Dèmoni seems

  So, the scriptwriters came up with a new

  the first occurrence to me.” To which Bava

  story: the secluded place where to unleash the

  replied: “Yes, indeed it is the first, and I think it

  demons was to be a church, built on some sort

  is even the first time that a third chapter is set

  of passage to hell. Not a novelty, considering

  into production. I think we’ll make it, we’re

  Sacchetti’s previous scripts for Lucio Fulci, but

  thinking about it, we’re writing it.” Just a few

  a theme that was closer to Argento’s sensibility.

  days earlier, producer Dario Argento had con-

  During his work on Suspiria and Inferno, he

  firmed the news, adding: “The next one in the

  had become familiar with Fulcanelli, the elusive

  series will not be called Dèmoni 3. I rather think

  early 20th century alchemist who had been the

  it will have a title like Ritorno alla casa dei dè-

  inspiration for the character of Varelli, and his

  moni [Author’s note: Return to the House of

  book Le Mystère des cathédrales. This way, the

  the Demons]; people got tired of titles with

  new movie would ideally link to the previous

  1989: La chiesa

  73

  diptych, especially for its reliance on alchemy

  Nevsky, 938) for its depiction of the Teutonic

  and its mysteries.

  Knights, which Eisenstein had totally made up.8

  However, the delay caused by the decision

  Der Name der Rose also suggested the inclusion

  to start all over again with a new storyline had

  in the cast of the octogenarian Feodor Chaliapin,

  the effect of Lamberto Bava abandoning the

  Jr., in a role vaguely similar as that of the “ven-

  project. The director had signed a deal with Fin-

  erable Jorge” which he played in Annaud’s film,

  invest and would start shooting another quartet

  as well as the idea of the riddles in Latin. On the

  of TV horror movies for the series “Alta ten-

  other hand, another blatant influence is John

  sione” in October 988, and by July of that year

  Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, an (admittedly

  it was clear that he would not be able to make

  much more successful) blending of traditional

  the third Dèmoni film.6 An argument with Sac-

  Gothic motifs within a modern- day setting. The

  chetti ensued, and the scriptwriter claims he was

  young director’s cinephile taste also resulted in

  royally paid by Argento in order to keep quiet

  some surprising references for an Italian horror

  about his involvement in the film. Exit Bava,

  film, such as paying homage to Michael Mann’s

  enter Michele Soavi, fresh from the success of

  The Keep (983).

  Deliria.

  Shooting took place from September to No-

  With the new director on board, the project

  vember 988, on a budget of 3 and a half million

  took quite a different direction. Now Argento

  dollars.9 Many scenes were filmed at an imposing

  had found a convincing title, La chiesa, which

  location, the astonishing Matthias Church in Bu-

  didn’t connect the movie to the previous ones

  dapest, in front of the Fisherman’s Bastion, de-

  (except for the subtle reference of a stylized

  consecrated for the period of the shooting. Ar-

  demon face on the letter “C” in the film’s poster).

  gento’s 3-year-old daughter Asia was cast in one

  Soavi suggested a new opening scene, set in the

  of the film’s key roles. It was her third movie after

  Middle Ages and inspired by John Milius’ Conan

  Dèmoni 2 and Cristina Comencini’s Zoo (988),

  the Barbarian (982). Most importantly, in Sac-

  where she was the protagonist. Around the same

  chetti’s own words, the directorial turnover af-

  time, Asia was filming Nanni Moretti’s political

  fected the film drastically, resulting in a much

  comedy Palombella rossa: it was an auspicious ca-

  more dynamic and engrossing visual style, dif-

  reer start for the teenage actress, which would

  ferent cinematography and color choices, and,

  make her one of the most popular young thesps

  most notably, a different approach to the narra-

  in 990s Italian cinema.

  tive.

  Shooting was an exhausting experience for

  Despite the game of references and thefts

  Soavi. “I was free, and I could do what I wanted

  that form a strong undercurrent in his work, Ar-

  … but I also suffered a lot because of the diffi-

  gento cannot be considered a postmodernist,

  culties, the vicissitudes, the delays.”0 Lighting

  focused on pillowing and reassembling old

  the church proved an ordeal due to the vast in-

  movies: his relationship w
ith cinema of the past

  terior spaces, and the director had to give up the

  is an “occult metabolization”7 rather than an

  idea of shooting the scene of Barbara Cupisti’s

  open homage. Whereas Soavi, born in 97 and

  character coupling with a horned demon on lo-

  the son of the noted poet Giorgio Soavi, is an

  cation, due to the protests of the persons in

  out- and-out postmodernist filmmaker. La chiesa

  charge of the cathedral. The scene had to be

  is an omnivorous and self- satisfied collection of

  filmed at the De Paolis studios. But despite a

  a wide variety of explicit references, from Hi-

  rather weak and repetitive third act, La chiesa

  eronymus Bosch’ apocalyptic paintings to Boris

  displayed Soavi’s visionary technique, especially

  Vallejo’s comic book panels, from music videos

  in the scene which starts in the Middle Age, in

  to video games—and, of course, many films of

  the church crypt, and ends in the present day,

  the distant and close past, which turn up every

  on the surface, with the camera travelling

  now and then like pieces of a crazy jigsaw. The

  through space and time in what looks like a long

  aforementioned prologue, for instance, takes

  take, even though there are a few cuts.

  place in a gloomy medieval setting influenced

  Even though Argento and his co- script-

  by the gruesome excesses of Paul Verhoeven’s

  writers were drawing on Fulcanelli’s work, with a

  Flesh+Blood (98), as well as by Der Name der

  dab of the esoteric and alchemic elements de-

  Rose (a.k.a. The Name of the Rose, 986, Jean-

  rived from Suspiria and Inferno, La chiesa looks

  Jacques Annaud), although Soavi mentioned

  like a paraphrase on film of Maurice Lévy’s fas-

  Eisenstein’s Aleksandr Nevskij (a.k.a. Alexander

  cinating thesis on the Gothic novel, “toute “his-

  74 1989: La chiesa toire gothique” se doit d’etre la mise en fable d’une

  episodes can multiply at will, and blossom from

  demeure” (every “Gothic story” should make a

  each other, from characters which are promoted

  narrative out of a house). In La chiesa, the very

  within the space of a shot from mere extras or

  title refers to the place where the story unfolds:

  spectators of the story to makers and objects of

  it is the abode, the building, the enclosed area,

  horror, like the two young bikers, the arrogant

  the house—here, by definition, the “House of

  fashion model, the elderly couple. They have a

  God”—which is the protagonist. It is the subject

  similar function as the figures in the bas- reliefs

  and the object, it affects the plot and acts as the

  which decorate an apse, which at first get lost in

  (almost) unmoved mover of the characters’ ac-

  the overall composition and only at second

  tions and tribulations. In turn, said characters

  glance stand out in the small space allowed to

  are merely two- dimensional presences, barely

  them by the artist. It is the same method Argento

  sketched, and utterly expendable figures.

  and his collaborators experimented on Dèmoni

  In his study of the Gothic genre, Lévy de-

  and Dèmoni 2, and which only in La chiesa,

  velops an analogy with architecture, and em-

  thanks to the Gothic setting, finds a consistent

  phasizes the symbolic significance of the Gothic

  point of arrival.

  building and the concept of man’s aspiration to

  While preparing the film, Argento heard

  the Divine it expresses. Such a concept is over-

  that Keith Emerson would be interested in writ-

  turned in Soavi’s film, where both the characters

  ing the score. The idea of working again with

  and the camera are attracted and driven down-

  the English keyboardist, nine years after Inferno,

  ward, most notably in the impressive sequence

  was tempting: it would not only be an attempt

  in which a vast abyss opens under the gigantic

  to top his previous works as a producer, but it

  cross that seals the crypt floor. As Edmund

  would also bring back his own past (a trait

  Burke wrote in his A Philosophical Enquiry into

  which would characterize more and more Ar-

  the Sublime and Beautiful, “I am apt to imagine

  gento’s following output as a director). Around

  likewise, that height is less grand than depth;

  the same time Alejandro Jodorowsky (who was

  and that we are more struck at looking down

  making Santa Sangre, with Argento’s brother

  from a precipice, than at looking up at an object

  Claudio producing) got in touch with Emerson

  of equal height.”2

  too, having liked his work on Inferno very much.

  Moreover, Lévy finds in the Gothic novel

  Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

  “an application, at the level of the dreamlike

  When Argento received Emerson’s twelve- track

  mechanisms, of the very structures of medieval

  demo, he was in for a huge disappointment.

  art.”3 The same metaphor turns into images in

  “They were terrible. Not even a child would have

  La chiesa, and the film’s dreamlike imagery lit-

  written music like that. A sort of bombastic

  erally take shapes which recall Medieval iconog-

  march, it sounded like the Carabinieri fanfare. I

  raphy. That is the case with the cross atop the

  was aghast… . Naturally, Soavi and I looked for

  mass grave of the victims of the plague, the

  another musician. And some time later I found

  monstrous tangle of bodies which emerge from

  out that Jodorowsky had received a demo tape

  the bowels of the Earth, the appearance of Satan

  more or less like mine, and that he too had re-

  in the shape of a goat, and the system of coun-

  jected Emerson’s collaboration.” The incident

  terweights and gears which eventually causes

  left sore feelings on Emerson’s part. What is left

  the cathedral to collapse. The latter idea was

  in the film of the English musician’s work are

  reprised almost verbatim in Mariano Baino’s

  three tracks: the organ- driven main title theme

  film, Dark Waters (993).

  (in two versions), another titled Possession, and

  Writing about the Gothic romance, Lévy

  a rearranged version of Bach’s Prelude 24 which

  and his peers pointed out its incomplete and

  sounds like a blatant attempt to recreate the magic

  maze- like narrative structure, filled with enig-

  of Emerson’s take on Verdi’s Va, pensiero. For the

  matic passages and aimed at peaks of suspense,

  rest, Soavi relied on Fabio Pignatelli (credited as

  lacking a real continuity between the various

  Goblin, although his was in fact a solo work) and

  episodes and “more similar to a suite of frag-

  inserted two tracks by Philip Glass.<
br />
  ments—we’d almost say a heap of romance

  As with Argento’s previous productions, his

  “ruins”—than to an organic construction.”4 In-

  name appeared in evidence in newspapers, as if

  ferno was an example of the same technique ap-

  he was the director himself, a confirmation of

  plied to film, and La chiesa is a further attempt

  his superstar status among Italian filmmakers

  at a potentially infinite container, in which the

  and in the public eye.6 However, the commercial

  1989: Etoile

  7

  expectations were destined to be partially un-

  Ferrini, Sandro Petraglia; DOP: Acácio de

  fulfilled. At first, despite Argento’s will to per-

  Almeida (Kodak); M: Jürgen Knieper (Ed. BMG

  form some cuts, the rating board gave La chiesa

  Ariola; Faso Edizioni Musicali); E: Anna Napoli;

  a V.M.8 certificate “in consideration of the

  Casting: Michelle Guillermin, Francesco Cinieri;

  many, particularly violent and shocking scenes

  ArtD: Giantito Burchiellaro; SD: Bruno Cesari;

  which are considered unsuitable for the sensi-

  CO: Giuseppe Crisolini Malatesta; MU: Massimo

  tivity of the spectators in developmental age.”

  De Rossi, Andreina Ambrosini; Hair: Vincenzo

  The decision severely harmed the film’s box-

  Cardella, Giancarlo Lucchetti; AD: Roberto

  office potential: La chiesa ended up in 36th place

  Palmerini; 2ndAD: Pietro Sola; C: Antonio Scara-

  among the year’s top grossers, with a little less

  muzza; AC: Roberto De Nigris, Massimo Intoppa;

  than 2 billion lire, only slightly more than Dario

  AsstArtD: Mauro Borelli, Andrea Gaeta;

  Piana’s glossy erotic thriller Sotto il vestito niente

  2ndAsstArtD: Luca Tentellini; ACO: Mariella

  II, and a trifle compared with the 7 billion and

  Dirindelli, Elena Carveni; W: Silvana Cocuccioni,

  a half earned by the season’s biggest Italian hit,

  Bertilla Silvestrin; AE: Ambra Giombolini, Fabio

  Roberto Benigni’s Il piccolo diavolo.

  Maiuri; PM: Giancarlo Gabrielli; Construction

  One year later, on appeal, the commission

  manager: Luigi Sergianni; Painter: Claudio

  overturned its previous ruling and, considering

  Tedesco; G: Delio Catini; KG: Sergio Serantoni;

  that the “violent and shocking scenes … are not

  G: Paolo Tiberti; SE: F.lli Corridori; SPFX: Sergio

  particularly and intensely underlined within the

  Stivaletti; SO: Amelio Verona; B: Maurizio Merli;

  general context of the film,” changed the rating