Inferno

Dario Argento
1980

With Mother Susperiorum having been previously dispatched in Germany, the next episode of Dario Argento's "3 Mothers" trilogy sets it's sights on the Mother of Darkness in the Big Apple. Much like "Suspiria" (1977) Argento goes for the throat early with a horrifying setpiece that is unfortunately unmatched for the rest of the film. In this case it's a curious Rose Elliot swimming amongst submerged corpses in the mysteriously waterlogged lower levels of her apartment building. The flamboyant colored-lighting schemes of "Suspiria" also return for another go, though are not as liberally employed, making for a subtler and more sophisticated visual experience. The filmmaking is expectedly stylish with a sensibility more Grimm brothers than Gothic, but there's nothing overly remarkable going on either. The confrontation with the wheelchair-bound architect before the showdown with Mother Tenebrarum is a nice touch, unfortunately the costume and makeup of the Mother's second incarnation (as death) just look silly. After having finally seen all films in the 3 Mothers trilogy, I'm going to have to say "Mother of Tears" is the best.