La sindrome di Stendhal (1996)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Graziella Magherini (novel)
Dario Argento (story) ...

Release Date:

26 January 1996 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Horror

Plot:

A young policewoman slowly goes insane while tracking down an elusive serial rapist/killer through Italy when she herself becomes a victim of the brutal man's obsession.

Plot Keywords:

Policewoman | Trap | Painting | Hallucination | Rapist

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Asia Argento	...	Det. Anna Manni
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Alfredo Grossi
Marco Leonardi	...	Marco Longhi
Luigi Diberti	...	Insp. Manetti
Paolo Bonacelli	...	Dr. Cavanna
Julien Lambroschini	...	Marie
John Quentin	...	Anna's father
Franco Diogene	...	Victim's husband
Lucia Stara	...	Shop assistant
Sonia Topazio	...	Victim in Florence
Lorenzo Crespi	...	Giulio
Vera Gemma	...	Policewoman
John Pedeferri	...	Hydraulic engineer
Veronica Lazar	...	Marie's mother
Mario Diano	...	Coroner

Also Known As:

Stendhal's Syndrome
The Stendhal Syndrome
Синдром Стендаля (Russia) [ru]
El arte de matar (Spain) (TV title) [es]
Le syndrome de Stendhal (France) (video title) [fr]
Síndrome Mortal (Brazil) [pt]
Stendahl-syndrooma (Finland) (video title) [fi]
Stendhal sendromu (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Stendhals syndrom (Sweden) [sv]
Syndrome (Argentina) (video box title) [es]
To syndromo tou Stendhal (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
Viagem ao Inferno (Portugal) [pt]

Runtime:

120 min | Argentina:114 min | USA:113 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Ontario) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-18 | Germany:18 | Italy:VM14 | Portugal:M/18 (video premiere) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Cine 2000

Trivia:

The footage of Anna underwater after fainting in the gallery was actually shot in the sea - not a swimming pool. The huge grouper fish that Anna kisses was a remote model that was being pulled through the waters by cables attached to a small float on the oceans surface. Mere moments after wrapping the underwater shoot, the fish stopped working.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mummie (2003)

underrated intelligant thriller

La Syndrome di Stendahl has met cruel critical comments on its initial release but although it is not at all like his earlier work, it is in fact a far more intelligent and mature affair. Anna Manni, the character played by Asia Argento, has more compassion than any other character in an Argento film, quite unlike the carelessly created cartoon-like characters of his other work. It is true, however that the film drags slightly in the middle, although picks up the pace again for a surprising and beautifully directed finale; and although the film is not as bloody as tenebrae, the violence on display is brutal and sexual (leading to it being cut for release in Britain) and genuinely disturbing. Perhaps not as good as Deep Red or Suspiria, but definitely one of this unusual director's better efforts.