The Stendhal Syndrome
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| 'La Sindrome di Stendhal (The Stendhal Syndrome / Stendhal's Syndrome) | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dario Argento |
| Produced by | Dario Argento Giuseppe Colombo |
| Written by | Dario Argento Franco Ferrini Graziella Magherini (novel) |
| Starring | Asia Argento Thomas Kretschmann Marco Leonardi |
| Music by | Ennio Morricone |
| Cinematography | Giuseppe Rotunno |
| Distributed by | Troma Entertainment (USA) |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Running time | 120 min |
| Language | Italian (U.S. release dubbed into English) |
The Stendhal Syndrome is a 1996 Italian thriller, written and directed by Dario Argento and starring his daughter Asia Argento.
[edit] Plot Summary
Detective Anna Manni (Asia Argento) travels to Rome on the trail of a serial rapist / killer (Thomas Kretschmann). While at a museum, Anna is struck by the Stendhal Syndrome, which causes people to become overwhelmed by great works of art. The rapist uses this disorder against Anna, raping and kidnapping her.
[edit] Reaction
Argento's recent films have received mixed reactions from fans, however, The Stendhal Syndrome is widely considered to be one of the stronger films of this period.
Fans were also happy to see Argento again collaborating with Ennio Morricone (the two had not worked together since 1971's Four Flies on Grey Velvet) as well as a return to Italian locations after two films shot in America (Two Evil Eyes and Trauma).
Many were shocked by the film's tone, which is much darker than Argento's previous giallo and supernatural films, focusing more on the psychological aspects of violence than the violence itself.
Argento's choice to direct a graphic rape scene starring his own daughter has also created some controversy.
[edit] Trivia
Argento planned on making a sequel to the film which would follow Detective Anna Manni on another case. However, Asia was unavailable, so the character's name was changed (to Anna Mari) and Stefania Rocca was cast. The resulting film is 2004's The Card Player.
This is the second of four films in which Dario has directed his daughter Asia, the three others are Trauma, The Phantom of the Opera, and the upcoming The Third Mother. She also had roles in Demons 2 and The Church, which Dario produced, along with her directorial debut Scarlett Diva.
This was the first Italian film to use computer-generated imagery (CGI).
The opening scene' was shot in Florence at Italy's famed Uffizi Gallery. Argento is the only director ever granted permission to shoot there.
In the USA, the film is distributed by cult B-movie company Troma Entertainment.
