Girls on Film: Suspiria & Shivers

Girls on Film 

Films in Focus: Shivers & Suspiria

(For a brief summaries of these films click here)

I must admit, I did have a problem with seeing some of the things that happened to the women in Shivers. Owing to the subject matter (the release of people's sexual inhibitions via venereal parasites) there was always going to be a sexually aggressive element to the film and although we know this is due to the assailants being out of control, it is still difficult to watch. However, in the closing act of the film the previously abused women were infected with the parasite and I began to feel differently about what I'd seen. When the men had their sexual inhibitions released they became neanderthal and brainless; when the women were infected it was more like a liberation. There are, to my mind, three notable women in the film who all start as secondary characters. Taking the character of Nurse Forsythe as an example; she begins as a perfectly average girlfriend to the one of the male leads. She shows affection when he wants, makes him dinner and does what he tells her - the whole humble female shebang. When infected, however, she becomes powerful and sexual as well as seemingly becoming the leader of the infected masses. The other two main females have a similar character arc.

Suspiria is interesting in terms of female interaction simply because it is almost devoid of males. There are three men in the film: one is blind, one is mute and the other is gay - Argento says this was because he wanted none of the men to interfere with the female interaction (probably not the most P.C. of statements but he said it not me!). His first major film, Bird with the Crystal Plumage, was unusual in that it featured a powerful and punishing female and because of this, a trend developed in subsequent Italian horror and mystery films. I suppose this popularity coupled with his own love of exploring female interaction meant that by the time he got to Suspiria, Argento could go ahead and have a film of females. And I must say, Suspiria is like looking at a kaleidoscope of the female psyche - personified, exaggerated, then bounced off one another. Most interestingly for me was the portrayal of old women. The Principal of the dance school is played by a sixty seven year old Joan Bennet - and she looks fabulous. Similarly, all the other older women are portrayed as strong or powerful - not always positively powerful admittedly but still, there isn't a fuddy-duddy pensioner in sight. 

What does this mean? Well, men are obsessed with women for one. Cronenberg seems to discuss men's fear of women's sexuality (which is also discussed in a film which is said to have taken some inspiration from Shivers: Alien). He also seems to be fairly self deprecating towards male sexuality - I would be interested to know how men feel about this. Argento does not seem so much afraid of female sexuality as enthralled by it. His work has followed a pattern of strong women and in an interview he said the large majority of his audience is women; this would suggest that while awful things do happen to women, the female members of the audience appreciate that its because he is trying to explore every facet of female reaction and not just glorify violence against women. I know this is how I felt. 

My feelings towards Cronenberg, on the other hand, are a little different. There were times when I felt he was excessive and made me feel uncomfortable, however the final act made me consider that this may have been intentional. He seems to want to show that subversive and perverse sexual behaviour is bred of repressed minds and in order to really hammer that through to the audience he exposes us to the very behaviour he would seem to be condemning. While I felt unsure at first, I came to realise there was intention behind it; so whereas I may not have appreciated it at the time - I understand it, and his intentions.

Even if someone has solid artistic intentions, is there a line that can be crossed? 

I would say, no.

Would you?