Directed by a true master of film, Dario Argento, this one has it all. The weirdly beautiful staged murders-the death of the psychic at the beginning in particular-mixed with the usual giallo quirky characters make this one a journey into profoundo rosso horror. Bizarre imagery, the usual Argento use of light and color, as well as good acting, make for a film for horror connoisseurs. A giallo for those who have never seen a giallo. Sure, some plot discrepancies such as the final showdown when the two main characters split up, knowing that the killer is in the building with them; don't you just hate it when characters have not made an effort to study the rules for surviving a horror movie? Good pacing and script make for an enjoyable horror classic. Cat lovers beware. The scene with the informant at the monastery is not for cat lovers.

If you have any urge to delve into the Giallo genre you might as well start here. Deep Red includes a lot of the trademarks you'd expect, with a black-gloved killer, many suspects, violent murders and an out-of-town hero who just can't quite remember a key detail to solving the case. Plot-wise it doesn't deviate too far from the Giallo template either, but the big difference is that it's directed by Dario Argento, and that with this film Argento is entering his most creative phase of films.There's also a very slight supernatural angle and plenty of subtle surrealism throuought the film, like reality itself is nearly unravelling. We open at a para-psychology conference where guest speaker Helga is 'reading' the audience. She goes through the usual routine until getting a very disturbing vibe from someone in the sixth row that sends her into a rant about 'the child's song...we must forget...' and her accusing that person of murder. Not the best idea as later own, in her apartment, Helga is hacked to death with an axe before the killer makes off with Helga's notes on the incident. Of course, Helga 'feels' the killers vibe through the front door.Witnessing this is English pianist Mark (Hemmings), who was hanging about outside the apartment drinking with his musician friend Carlo before Helga's head comes crashing through the window of her apartment. Mark rushes into the apartment (which is decorated with strange disturbing pictures and Hebrew symbols) and drags Helga's body from the window, spotting a black-clad figure running away. What you may or may notice through this scene is that Argento has deliberately revealed the killer's face in a split second shot.Mark of course now encounters the crap, ignorant police he has to deal with, plus cocky journalist Daria Nicolodi, who, after revealing Mark was a witness on the cover of her paper, then hooks up with him to solve the case. Now Mark has the killer on his tail, mind you, as well as the killer being one step ahead in getting rid of clues and those who hold those clues...On the visual side, Argento gives us extreme close-ups of objects like tape recorders running and a stylus running across a record, plus the collection of weird toys the killer has. He also goes in the other direction with ultra-wide shots in dialogue scenes. The camera itself acts as a character, stalking about scenes and focusing on things happening that the characters haven't noticed, unless of course it is playing the POV part of the killer, which it does often, sometimes without letting on to the audience that it's supposed to be the killer! Clever stuff.There's also the avalanche of quirkiness throughout the film. No one acts quite normal, from Nicoletta Elmi's sadistic child to Daria Nicolodi's weird cigar twirling trick that has nothing to do with the plot, plus her car that barely functions. Unrelated incidents drop into the film between scenes; dogs fighting, a man (that guy from the Beast In Heat) shouting in a market, the cops discussing their boss's temper. The killer leaves hanged dolls for their victims to find and at one point distracts a guy by have a creepy mechanical toy rush him. This all gives the film a nervous edge that isn't helped by the gruesome murders. Argento wanted the murders to include injuries people could suffer in real life, so people are severely scalded or have their teeth bashed against solid objects and in that oh-so-common every day injury, get dragged along the street behind a bin truck before smashing their heads on a lamppost. There's are two version of this film - the English version and the Italian version, and I'd recommend the English version to be honest, especially if you're starting out with the genre. The Italian version is about twenty minutes longer but most of that is dialogue between Hemmings and Nicolodi, a kind of battle of the sexes/romantic subplot that just bogs things down a bit. The film also got into trouble for the depiction of a lizard genuinely impaled on a spike - never a good thing to see in a film that no doubt brought it to the attention of the BBFC here in the UK. Strangely, that shot is missing from the Italian version!

A prime example of how superior direction can elevate a film to something greater than the sum of its parts. At its core, Deep Red plays with the same basic structure and themes as any other giallo film. But with Dario Argento at the helm, the familiar tropes rise to a new plane of vibrancy and vitality that few other directors in the genre are able to achieve. There's so much subtlety in the way Argento accomplishes this: the way he carefully stages and photographs his set pieces, the fluid movements of his camera, the Hitchcockian escalation of suspense, the occasionally bizarre and dream-like flourishes, the off-color use of music. Each plays a crucial role in breathing life into the film and differentiating it from the competition, and the result is a film which earns its reputation as one of the best in the genre. Unfortunately I do still have some nagging issues, mainly with the pacing and the length of the film. At times it does feel as if it could've been tightened up into a slightly more well-oiled machine. And of course there is some cheesiness and stilted acting here and there which is pretty much par for the course for the genre. But when the film is at its best, it is quite arresting and certainly offers some of the best thrills the genre has to offer. Definitely one I look forward to revisiting.Strong 4/5

I am a horror movie fan and i love this film so much.Dario Agento is a great filmmaker.For this generation I don't think this film would be a masterpiece. The main plot is that ,the protagonist see a psychic gets murdered and the way he investigate with the help of a reporter to find the killer. Many at times we will fall for the reporter's beauty.I like Dario Agento mixing some detective element into the plot and the way he uses long shots and subjective shots.