Product: La Sindrome di Stendhal
Rating: 3.0
Still better than any American Thrillers I've seen this year
Dario Argento has somehow escaped the american audience for over 30 years, that is until this recent wave of affordable well distributed re-releases. Stendahl Syndrome is more akin to his "Deep Red", "Bird With Crystal Plumage" and "Tenebre" than say "Suspiria", "Inferno" or "Phenomena". In that it is a fantasy based crime thriller as opposed to a supernatural/occult horror. Starring Dario's beautiful daughter Asia Argento who plays a police officer on the trail of a serial rapist when the tables are turned and she becomes the rapist's latest victim (while any scene involving such violence towards women is certainly disturbing, the film is however nowhere near as brutal as the critics claim). On top of all this Asia's character also suffers from a rare disorder in which great artwork causes powerful hallucinations and blackouts to the viewer. This is apparently known as the Stendahl Syndrome. While not as brillant as most of Dario's work it is far better then his recent adaptation of "Phantom of the Opera" or his other film starring Asia "Trauma".