After showing with Profondo Rosso and Suspiria how much logic matters in his visualization of a theme, Argento apparently annoyed a number of people by junking it altogether with perhaps the movie in his filmography that provokes the most divided reactions from viewers. If Suspiria followed a fairy tale structure, Inferno's structure is more that of a fever dream...it has no logic at all, except for that of a nightmare.
Essentially, this movie is a series of scenes, and not much more. One does not lead sensibly into another in the way we commonly associate with a "plot". But what scenes...the accentuation of the visual in this film is so profound and thorough that it in some ways represents the culmination of what Argento was trying to do with the visuals in Suspiria, although without that film's more audience-pleasing aspects and accessibility. The sheer number of arresting visuals crammed into the running time is staggering.
And the pace? Problematic. There isn't any cohesive central character (Mark, the ostensible lead, literally doesn't do ANYTHING until the finale). It's mostly on the order of "introduce a character, kill him/her a scene later". Moreover, the first hour of the film is so packed with intense and beautifully realized scenes that it has no choice but to peter out before it hits the finish line.
Even a number of the film's staunchest defenders find the climax a bit of a letdown. The fact that the whole "woman turns into Death" scene was devised by Mario Bava, though, makes perfect sense; it just doesn't fit as well into a film that is otherwise so idiosyncratically Argento's.
That said, though, it is definitely a film that improves with repeated viewing. The score takes a little getting used to (especially when it breaks into mock-Omen choral rumblings), but most of all one has to adjust to the fact that film isn't SUPPOSED to make sense. And anticipate that Leigh McCloskey's performance will not be involving (while Daria Nicolodi, Alida Valli and Irene Miracle will make unfortunately only brief appearances). And it makes an excellent double feature with Suspiria.
Essentially, this movie is a series of scenes, and not much more. One does not lead sensibly into another in the way we commonly associate with a "plot". But what scenes...the accentuation of the visual in this film is so profound and thorough that it in some ways represents the culmination of what Argento was trying to do with the visuals in Suspiria, although without that film's more audience-pleasing aspects and accessibility. The sheer number of arresting visuals crammed into the running time is staggering.
And the pace? Problematic. There isn't any cohesive central character (Mark, the ostensible lead, literally doesn't do ANYTHING until the finale). It's mostly on the order of "introduce a character, kill him/her a scene later". Moreover, the first hour of the film is so packed with intense and beautifully realized scenes that it has no choice but to peter out before it hits the finish line.
Even a number of the film's staunchest defenders find the climax a bit of a letdown. The fact that the whole "woman turns into Death" scene was devised by Mario Bava, though, makes perfect sense; it just doesn't fit as well into a film that is otherwise so idiosyncratically Argento's.
That said, though, it is definitely a film that improves with repeated viewing. The score takes a little getting used to (especially when it breaks into mock-Omen choral rumblings), but most of all one has to adjust to the fact that film isn't SUPPOSED to make sense. And anticipate that Leigh McCloskey's performance will not be involving (while Daria Nicolodi, Alida Valli and Irene Miracle will make unfortunately only brief appearances). And it makes an excellent double feature with Suspiria.