Deep Red (Profondo rosso) (1975)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Randy T

  
  A minor masterpiece of 70's horror. Like <i>Suspiria</i>, Argento turns the genre upside down with his bright colors and well lit sets, a technique that brings fear out of the shadows and sets it squarely in your lap.

• Cory T

  
  Practically pitch-perfect in execution, Deep Red engrosses us in a suspenseful mystery where, as in classic thrillers, the camera lingers on a clue that the main character is oblivious to. In this case, it's a paint chip that unpeels to reveal another malevolent figure in a… More
  Practically pitch-perfect in execution, Deep Red engrosses us in a suspenseful mystery where, as in classic thrillers, the camera lingers on a clue that the main character is oblivious to. In this case, it's a paint chip that unpeels to reveal another malevolent figure in a children's drawing. Hemmings is thankfully not a brutish gumshoe, he is a non-virile pianist who cannot win an arm-wrestling contest with a willowy woman. The imaginatively sickening death scenes drip with the licorice-red karyo syrup of Gothic giallos. A teeth-bludgeoning scene is unsettling to watch and while the final kill might seem schematic and contrived, its payoff is grotesquely jaw-dropping and doesn't reek of being overly composed. A true Italian horror masterpiece with nightmarish images in spades.

• Greg S

  
  A pianist witnesses the murder of a psychic and becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of the killer. Ultra-stylish romp with a cool jazz-rock score from Goblin, featuring some of the Dario Argento's tensest kill scenes.

• Anthony L

  
  You're either a fan of Giallo or you're not. Dario Argento is pretty much a genres unto himself, so I understand when people comment that their isn't anything new or original about the structure or story in his films, it's just that no one quite does it the same as… More
  You're either a fan of Giallo or you're not. Dario Argento is pretty much a genres unto himself, so I understand when people comment that their isn't anything new or original about the structure or story in his films, it's just that no one quite does it the same as him. Deep Red or Profondo Rosso is classic Argento, not a particularly clever plot, it's a bit camp in places and quite irrelevant but it's creepy, bloody scary at times and seductively gruesome. I prefer The Cat o' Nine Tails and The Bird With the Crystal Plumage and he definitely perfected his style in Tenebre but Profondo Rosso is his classic all rounder and should be the starting point of those who are interested. Best scene: The bit with the doll coming out of the wardrobe, made me spill my tea!

• Cassandra M

  
  With this film, Argento raised the bar for Giallo's. With it's spanning plot, complete with highly inventive ideas and intriguing theme; Profondo Rosso is an absolute highlight in the sub-genre. The film follows a female medium who, while giving a lecture, senses the… More
  With this film, Argento raised the bar for Giallo's. With it's spanning plot, complete with highly inventive ideas and intriguing theme; Profondo Rosso is an absolute highlight in the sub-genre. The film follows a female medium who, while giving a lecture, senses the presence of a murderer in the room that is transmitting murderous thoughts to her. Pretty soon after, she is brutally murdered by an unknown assassin, under the watchful eye of Mark (David Hemmings); a professional piano player. As you would expect from Giallo, Mark then takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of the murder and, along with a nosey female journalist (Daria Nicolodi), he conducts his own investigation. However, things are never that simple and aside from trying to solve the murder, he also finds himself being pursued by the maniac...will he be able to discover the truth before it's too late? Profondo Rosso is, in the collective eyes of the horror fanatics, Argento's number two (Suspiria being number one). I don't actually agree with that; as I think that Tenebre, Opera and Bird With the Crystal Plumage belong in front of this one, but Profondo Rosso is definitely up there, so who am I to complain? This film features a lot more bloodshed than anything Argento had made previously, and that is definitely a good thing. However, the plot does slow down at times, and it's not paced as well as Bird with the Crystal Plumage is. It's also somewhat wayward, with it spending lots of time on certain things, such as the investigation in the haunted house, and not a lot of time on other things that are just as important to the mystery. Despite there being quite a few death scenes, I do feel that Argento would have been better served either adding another one to increase the excitement, or maybe cutting the film down a little to make it run more smoothly. The murders that Dario does give us, however, are brutal to say the least! We've got a woman burned to death in a bath of scolding water, another woman smashed through a glass window, a man having his teeth smashed against a table (not too dissimilar to the 'curb' scene in American History X) and, of course, the final death, which has to be seen to be believed - an amazingly over the top scenario to say the least! David Hemmings take the lead role in Profondo Rosso, and does a very good job of it. Hemmings is, of course, most famous for his role in Blow-Up, and his role here isn't too different from that one. Starring alongside Hemmings is Daria Nicolodi, the actress that has starred in a number of Argento's films (Opera, Inferno and Tenebre to name three) and also collaborated with Argento on another fine creation. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. Also getting in on the fun is Gabriele Lavia, whom Argento fans will remember from Inferno (also, curiously, called Carlo). Dario Argento's direction here is nothing short of sublime. His use of the camera is more than assured and some of the camera angles and images that are presented on screen are amazing. Dario Argento deserves every piece of praise that he gets and anyone that sees this film will not find it hard to see why. Overall, Profondo Rosso ranks as an absolute must see. It's one of the finest Giallo's ever made and is a career highlight for everyone involved. Highly recommended viewing for all.

• Keiko A

  
  Directed by Dario Argento and Starring David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia and Macha Meril. Were do I simply start?? No doubt this is one of the greatest mysteries movies ever made! Or one of the greatest films I have seen, it easily gets into my top 5 for sure. Well… More
  Directed by Dario Argento and Starring David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia and Macha Meril. Were do I simply start?? No doubt this is one of the greatest mysteries movies ever made! Or one of the greatest films I have seen, it easily gets into my top 5 for sure. Well it's not that's its scary well...It's funny, Romantic, and of course freaky as hell. And this film is the perfect combination for all those things. And its easy to understand! [IMG]http://i56.tinypic.com/2z5ktmx.jpg[/IMG] A very powerful female medium psychic Helga Ulmann at one of her lectures on the supernatural detects that there is a murder among them in the audience. After that strange short-coming, Helga is murdered in her home by a Hatchet wilding maniac. Meanwhile Mark, a local piano player witnesses the murder while walking home. He then decides to get to the bottom of things himself. And along the way a reporter teems up with him but the hunters soon become the hunted. Everything you can come to expect from Argento is here. The beautiful colors, the insane camera angles. Argento stylistic camera moves develop into really extreme close-ups of things on Deep Red. He will really go in there with the camera and go all around an object with it; he does this many times in the flick. Oh and of course Black Gloves with the close-up's of those. Easily one of the best stories Argento ever wrote, it's a twist ending that really got me....just when you think the it's over OMG god how did I not see that???! The thing is that if you are not patient you will feel that this will be another one of those endings where you are left feeling unsatisfied and dumbfounded, but no, this ending is actually very satisfying I loved the scenery in this movie. Everything was lit in a very spooky manner. My favorite being the mediums home. Its got this hallway filled with he spookiest freaking paintings you will ever see. Add to that the cool lighting and you've got yourself one heck of an eerie setting. And the flick has got many of those including a house that is gigantic and haunting...very Gothic. The shots in that house and the lighting were awesome. I really loved that acting By Actor David Hemming's and Daria Nicolodi they were just perfect for the role I don't think I could have pictured them in another way and for it's Climax were he discovers the body in the wall and the look on his face and eyes. So overall...Gothic and Perfect in everyway and when there not scared it's just funny...I love the car scene with the broken seat and door. The music by Goblin is simply my favourite soundtrack by them with that intro and ending scene and also the long house scene with him exploring all the rooms. Oh and of course they proved some funny music for the house scene were he is looked out and climbing down the side of it. And the drain pipe part haha funny stuff. Indeed it's the most creative and best Giallo or mystery movie ever made hands down. Keiko's score 100%

• AJ V

  
  I think that the reason I didn't like this movie was because of the bad job done on the technical side. I would really like to re-watch this movie.

• Ariuza k

  
  This is the movie that got my interested in these kinds of films and of course I am talking about Giallo films. There really just very violent Italian film noirs or mystery movies, Giallo itself stands for yellow that's because all the pulp fiction novels in the 20s and 30s all… More
  This is the movie that got my interested in these kinds of films and of course I am talking about Giallo films. There really just very violent Italian film noirs or mystery movies, Giallo itself stands for yellow that's because all the pulp fiction novels in the 20s and 30s all had yellow backgrounds. The film that kick stated this genre was the girl who knew to much and then it was finally completed with the bird with the crystal plumage. Dario Argento films once again have had a major influence on our culture and film industry because of these kinds of movies and don't forget about Suspiria but know there's deep red one of the most creative Mystery/Giallo film ever made. Marcus Daly is a musician living in Rome but after drinking late he walks home but in shock he sees a women banning on a window above his blow his apartment, and she comes crashing throw the glass serving her neck. Marcus enters the apartment to help her but she is dead but, he looks out side and sees the assailant in a rain coat walk away into the night. Even though the police have looked at everything Marcus remembers there was a painting but it's gone. So like everything he sets up his own investigation with a reporter but every time they find something the murder seems to be one step ahead of them. Trust me you will be shocked by the ending and even I went "HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT????" So really it was right in front of me the whole time. The film itself can be very confusing if your not paying attention but it will be explained. But by creative it doesn't have to be scary the film is funny, Marcus and Gianna are in the car together and Marcus seat breaks and she looks at him and laughs. Though it can be very scary at times when you see the girl walk past and the eye looking at her in the closest and then the murder hits her with a hatchet. I think David Hemmings as Marcus Daly was nothing short of perfect just different he can be in different scenes like when he finds the body in the wall same goes with Daria Nicolodi. I think the music is really loud and awesome it works find with the scene we he is looking throw the house just this really moving music (Not scary though). The characters are in my top both Marcus and Gianna together. I come to a close I think its like The bird a bit but its still nothing short of excellent or amazing story telling.

• Jeff "

  
  Deep Red has been said that it is Dario Argento's masterpiece.This is one of his finest works and is a film that showcases Argento's talents to the fullest. Yes, he has made other Horror classics, but Deep Red is in a league by itself. Deep Red is different from Suspiria and… More
  Deep Red has been said that it is Dario Argento's masterpiece.This is one of his finest works and is a film that showcases Argento's talents to the fullest. Yes, he has made other Horror classics, but Deep Red is in a league by itself. Deep Red is different from Suspiria and Inferno because it doesn't deal with the supernatural, a theme that was heavily explored in those two films. Deep Red is a film rich in atmosphere, and one of the high points of the film is the on screen kills. Argento is definitely a master at his craft and he can truly orchestrate something unique on screen. Deep Red along with Suspiria is one of the best Argento films that any self respecting Horror fan could see. This is a film that showcases Argento's talents at the top of his game, and delivers a unique masterpiece Giallo Horror cinema. The reason this film succeeds is because Argento steadily builds up the story, and doesn't bombard the viewer all at once with horrifying scenes. He takes his time with building the suspense and tension and you are sucked into it's downright twisted story. This is one of the finest Italian Giallo Horror films. Deep Red is a strange film, but then again thats to be expected from Dario Argento. Argento combines Slasher and detective elements into this film, and it adds lots of atmosphere to the overall film. I think thats why the film is as good as it is, it successfully combines intriguing genres of cinema aside from Horror to create a film with a tense, thrilling and horrifying overtones, Deep Red boasts some of the most creative and creepy murder sequences that the Maestro filmed, it's no wonder why this film is hailed as Argento's masterwork. Deep Red is one of the finest, and most terrifying Italian Horror films around, if you haven't seen it yet, then give this one a shot, this is a true classic of the Horror genre.

• Tsubaki S

  
  As bad as Argento could have been telling stories this one unfolds in a far more focused way than other films from the man for sure. The way details of the crime get revealed little by little keeps you hook up, and when the killings arrive they surely pay well. There are several of… More
  As bad as Argento could have been telling stories this one unfolds in a far more focused way than other films from the man for sure. The way details of the crime get revealed little by little keeps you hook up, and when the killings arrive they surely pay well. There are several of the usual police procedure scenes that sometimes slow down many giallos, but the movie still moves in a good pacing for the most part. Hemmings and Daria Nicolodi have good chemistry, and the soundtrack is fantastic.

• David L

  
  Well thought out but not too complex mystery from the masterful Italian film-maker about Marcus Daly (David Hemmings), a jazz pianist and instructor who gets caught up in a succession of murders. At a conference on parapsychology, psychically gifted Helga Ulman (Macha Meril) picks up… More
  Well thought out but not too complex mystery from the masterful Italian film-maker about Marcus Daly (David Hemmings), a jazz pianist and instructor who gets caught up in a succession of murders. At a conference on parapsychology, psychically gifted Helga Ulman (Macha Meril) picks up on the evil thoughts of an audience member, realizing that they've killed before and will kill again. And of course poor Helga gets murdered later that night. Marcus happens to live in the same building as Helga and more or less witnesses her murder. Together with a very spirited and kooky (and aggressive) reporter, Gianna Brezzi (Daria Nicolodi, in her first association with Argento), he takes it upon himself to figure out what's going on. The writing is actually better than one might expect for this sort of thing, given that Argento's always stylish command of the medium of film most often takes precedence over such matters. Not that this isn't very stylish, of course. Argento has such a great eye for visuals that his film is always interesting to look at. Color schemes and camera-work inform the film throughout. Its murders are often quite flamboyant in a true Grand Guignol style, but also sometimes have an air of everyday reality to them, such as getting scalded by water or getting struck in the mouth. And while the murders in gialli and horror movies are often enough so garish as to be completely unidentifiable, the murders here really allow a viewer to wince in appropriate sympathy. The murder mystery is quite intriguing and the identity of the killer is one that some viewers may not see coming. Apparently, there are clues (very subtle ones) scattered throughout, but as I typically am not one who can pick up on those things, the ultimate reveal was certainly a good surprise. Argento collaborates with prog-rock group Goblin for the first time here (they were suggested to him by Nicolodi after he was dissatisfied with original composer Giorgio Gaslini's work), and they truly give this genre something different with their hard-pounding score, which would influence such later composers as John Carpenter when he came up with the score for "Halloween". Hemmings is engaging as the the inquisitive hero, bringing about echos of an earlier film and performance for him, in Antonioni's "Blow-Up". Nicolodi is hilariously effervescent and Gabriele Lavia is likable as Marcus's friend Carlo. Child actress Nicoletta Elmi has a small role as a girl who provides Marcus with a major clue. This would mark the beginning of Nicolodi's association with Argento as she would become Argento's romantic partner (bearing him his daughters Asia and Fiore), and frequent repertory player, appearing in "Inferno", "Tenebrae", "Phenomena", and "Opera", as well as co-writing "Suspiria". Viewers looking to check out the giallo genre would do well to watch "Deep Red" as it's a highly effective and influential achievement.

• Conner R

  
  It's perfectly campy 70's horror movie. It has all those cliches, but it just seems to work here. The acting is poor, but it's so entertaining at the same time. The story is actually really interesting, which made the movie separate from countless others like it. The… More
  It's perfectly campy 70's horror movie. It has all those cliches, but it just seems to work here. The acting is poor, but it's so entertaining at the same time. The story is actually really interesting, which made the movie separate from countless others like it. The brutality and gore is pretty far for it's time. It's just pure fun, even the music matches it's bizarre style. Dario Argento is one of those directors that can make anything classy, especially when it comes to serial killing.

• Stella D

  
  i can't deny there are beautiful scenes in it but damn, asia's mom is annoying. i kept waiting for her to die. on the whole, i prefer suspiria

• _kelly .

  
  Flixster ate my review, which was lengthy. I can't be bothered retyping the whole thing though. Very slow in the middle. Last two kills are great. Goblin soundtrack is at times unusual for them but ultimately very effective. Didn't see the first half of that ending coming… More
  Flixster ate my review, which was lengthy. I can't be bothered retyping the whole thing though. Very slow in the middle. Last two kills are great. Goblin soundtrack is at times unusual for them but ultimately very effective. Didn't see the first half of that ending coming even though I always operate on the conservation of characters principle.

• Gordon A

  
  Creepy early psycho thriller with impressive music, lighting and sets. Reminded me of 'Don't Look Now'. Very stylish but a little dated.

• Robert C

  
  A great introduction for tose unfamiliar with Argento.

• Bruce B

  
  Wel I guess you have to be a cult Dario Argento's Film Fan to have enjoyed this one, I would have enjoyed it but the actors sometime spoke in english sometime in Italian, very fustrating for me, so I lost interest about 1/2 way. Now I have seen other Argento films and did think… More
  Wel I guess you have to be a cult Dario Argento's Film Fan to have enjoyed this one, I would have enjoyed it but the actors sometime spoke in english sometime in Italian, very fustrating for me, so I lost interest about 1/2 way. Now I have seen other Argento films and did think they were better. Sorry guys.

• Stephen M

  
  Also known as Profondo Rosso, this is Dario Argento's best film, featuring Goblin's best soundtrack. Full of nasty, stylish set-pieces.

• Tim S

  
  A masterpiece of horror and suspense!!

• Pierluigi P

  
  Giallo watermark. full of suspense, excitement and violence. uneven but effective soundtrack. likeable performances. stylish lighting, atmosphere and art direction. twisted fun ride.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings