Suspiria 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		5.0

Suspiria 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Synapse Films' two-disc set of Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA (1977) from 2019 remains the most widely available edition in 4K Ultra HD. The supplements on the UHD and special features Blu-ray include two audio commentaries, three featurettes, an interview, trailers, and TV/radio spots. In English or Italian, with optional English SDH or English subtitles for the main feature. Region-free.

Suspiria has been covered thrice by two of my colleagues on our site. Dr. Svet Atanasov reviewed both Australia-based Umbrella Entertainment's "40th Anniversary Edition" Blu-ray and UK-based Cult Films' Blu-ray + DVD combo in 2017. The following year, Brian Orndorf critiqued Synapse's two-disc Blu-ray "Special Edition". For Svet and Brian's thoughts and opinions on those editions, please see the reviews linked above.

Into the witch's bedroom.

Suspiria 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are pulled directly from the UHD disc and downsampled to 1080p. They don't encompass the presentation's HDR10 and do not fully represent the film's color values when projected in 4K resolution.

Synapse Films' release of Suspiria comes on a BD-100 (feature size: 66.1 GB) for the central feature and a BD-25 for the bonus materials. The keep case is housed with a slipcover. Synapse has advertised this as a "new 4K restoration of the original uncut, uncensored Italian 35mm camera negative exclusively done by Synapse Films, with color correction supervised and approved by SUSPIRIA Director of Photography, Luciano Tovoli." As Svet notes in his reviews, the Umbrella and Cult Films' Blu-rays utilize the 4K restoration conducted by TLEFilms FRPS in Germany. According to Vincent Pereira, who worked primarily on restoring the original 4.0 1977 English-language LCRS sound mix for the Synapse releases, has said that while Synapse used the same negative scan as TLE, the label's restoration work was performed by Fixafilm in Poland where it was overseen by Wojtek Janio. In a feature article about Suspiria's cinematography appropriately titled "Terror in Technicolor" for the February 2010 issue of American Cinematographer, Stanley Manders learned from Tovoli that the DP was in Technicolor Rome around that time to supervise an HD transfer of the film. Tavoli stated that he "worked with a very talented colorist, Fabrizio Conti, and we tried to stay as close as possible to the look of the original. I think we did an extremely good job." A Blu-ray was supposed to come out in the spring of '10 but never materialized.

According to AC, Tovoli shot Suspiria using Mitchell BNC and Arri 2-C cameras. He photographed the picture in 2.35:1 Technovision with anamorphic lenses. The film was printed on Eastman 5254, a 100-ASA negative. Tovoli told Manders that he chose to "intensively utilize primary colors — blue, green and red — to identify the normal flow of life, and then apply a complementary color, mainly yellow, to contaminate them." You can see how he applied this color scheme in several of the screen captures struck from the UHD. Tovoli explained to Manders that part of his approach was to make frequent use of frames of brightly colored velour and tissue paper set in front of Arcs, which were positioned very close to the actors. "I wanted to create light that would simulate the color coming from pots of paint thrown very respect­fully on the actors' faces, recalling Jackson Pollock's fundamental gesture of splashing pure color on the canvas," Tavoli described the process to Manders. "In my imagination, our canvas was our actors' faces. Soon, someone calmly explained to me that this was not possi­ble for multiple reasons, and I was forced to find an alternative method of lighting the actors' faces and, to an extent, the backgrounds, with the strongest possible light as close to the subject as possible. While shooting, our actors were very often reasonably worried they might be burned!" You can see the effect of "painting" the actors' faces with colored light on Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper; Screenshot #17), Miss Tanner (Alida Valli; Screenshot #18), and Sara (Stefania Casini; Screenshot #6).

Author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas interviewed Tovoli for her monograph on Suspiria (Auteur, 2015). For the opening scene where Suzy exits the airport, Tovoli said he applied colored gels everywhere. The close-up of Suzy inside the taxi (the scene in Screenshot #22), one of the favorites of Tovoli's career, was shot in a studio in Rome. Tovoli explained to Heller-Nicholas how he achieved it: "[I] pushed the idea of pure colours mixing with one another even further, letting my imagination go freely. I finally arrived at an idea of a changing and moving stained glass window. I asked my crew to build two wide cylinders around ten feet in diameter outside the car, with small openings covered by coloured gels and different grades of frost. By turning the cylinders in the opposite direction to each other with a single fixed Fresnel light inside of each them, the magic was created!" (p. 79) Tovoli explained that he replicated the exterior lights and colors inside the Italian studio from the Munich location and also colored the rain in green and red.

Synapse's presentation of its 4K restoration is magnificent with clearly defined primary hues. There are no specks or artifacts visible on the 2160p transfer. Synapse gives the viewer the option to watch the film with English opening and closing credits. Synapse has encoded the main feature at an average video bitrate of 80.14 Mbps, with an overall bitrate of 95.80 Mbps.

Fifteen chapters accompany the 99-minute movie.

Suspiria 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Synapse has supplied three sound track options: a new English Dolby Atmos mix (average bitrate: 4156 kbps, 24-bit; maximum bitrate: 6309 kbps; Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Surround compatible), an English DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 Surround (4828 kbps, 96kHz/24-bit), and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround remix dubbed in Italian (4034 kbps, 24-bit). I listened to all three while viewing Suspiria. Synapse claims that the original 4.0 English-language LCRS sound mix has not been heard since the theatrical release in 1977. It sounds deep as it enveloped my entire HT with excellent range in all the speakers used. In my research, I learned that the 4.0 mix was included in theatrical screenings shown in the US, Canada, and Australia. "NOW IN PULSATING STEROPHONIC SOUND" is how International Classics described it in newspaper adverts. The Australian paper The Age listed the presentation as having "full stereo sound." Noel Taylor of The Citizen (Ottawa, CA) wasn't impressed, writing in his review: "This sloppy hodge-podge of Satanism, sorcery and sickening sadism comes equipped with stereophonic sound which does abso­lutely nothing for the sus­pense, but numbs the ear­drums....The stereophonics are a poor camouflage for the shoddiness, about as effec­tive as the 3-D of another era, and hopefully as short-lived."

The Atmos track does a terrific job of accenting Goblin's pulsating score on the height channels. It creates discrete separation between the music and non-musical f/x, along with the dialogue. It's the best of the three tracks. The Italian 5.1 mix is very good in its own right but doesn't have the deep bass or extended range as the 4.0.

Synapse provides English SDH for the English-language tracks and standard English subtitles for the Italian dub.

Suspiria 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The extras on the second disc duplicate what Brian reviewed five years ago. I supply additional tidbits from his review.

DISC 1: FEATURE (4K UHD)

• Audio Commentary by Author Troy Howarth - this feature-length track was recorded ca. 2017. Howarth delivers a close reading of Suspiria. He also discusses the film's locations and delivers a wealth of anecdotes about its production. In English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary by Authors Derek Botelho and David Del Valle - Botelho and Del Valle offer a cultural history of fairy tales which inspired Suspiria's story. They also provide a behind-the-scenes account of both the pre-production and filming stages. It's interesting to hear their take on Daria Nicolodi's story about purportedly telling Argento about her grandmother's experiences with witchcraft and the occult at a musical academy. Del Valle compares Suspiria with Donald Cammell's White of the Eye (1987), which he is high on. In English, not subtitled.

• A Sigh from the Depths: 40 Years of SUSPIRIA (27:07, 1080p) - this is an anniversary retrospective on the making of the film and its influence on cinema. We hear from film historian Rob Galluzzo, author Derek Bothelo (Argento Syndrome), screenwriter Sean Keller (who penned Argento's movie Giallo), American Cinematographer editor David E. Williams, and Blumhouse.com's editor-in-chief Rebekah McKendry. They discuss cinematographer Luciano Tovoli's color schemes, camera movement, conjuring themes, casting, Goblin's score, among other topics. In English, not subtitled.

• Do You Know Anything About Witches? Visual Essay by Michael Mackenzie (30:05, 1080p) - this half-hour visual essay was written, edited, and narrated by Michael Mackenzie. He recounts his personal introduction to Suspiria and goes on to deliver a very effective summation of the film from beginning to end. A number of scenes are excerpted. Mackenzie also discusses the influence that Thomas De Quincey's work has had on Argento. In English, not subtitled.

• Suzy in Nazi Germany Featurette (8:01, 1080p) - Marcus Stiglegger narrates this featurette about the German locations from Suspiria. A clip from the film showing Suzy visiting one of the Munich locales is shown, followed by how it looks ca. 2017. Several scenes are played. The contemporary appearance of a particular location follows in succession. Stiglegger discusses the work of Nazi architects who designed several of the venues. In English, not subtitled.

• Olga's Story Interview With Actress Barbara Magnolfi (17:13, 1080p) - Magnolfi talks about doing ballet before acting in film, appearing in an uncredited role in Come, quando, perché (1969), and 1970s Italian film culture. She compares Olga to the other female characters in the movie. Magnofli also reminisces about working with Jessica Harper and Alida Valli. The best part is her recollections of meeting Argento in the director's office for her audition. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailers (4:29, 1080p) - U.S. Trailer #1 (1:02) is a teaser presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with an LPCM 2.0 mix. It's in the best condition of the three trailers. U.S. Trailer #2 (1:25) is a standard theatrical trailer with more visible film artifacts. It's also framed in 1.78:1 with LPCM 2.0. The International Trailer (2:03) is likewise shown in 1.78:1. The LPCM 2.0 track delivers the widest dispersal of sound of the three trailers. There is a "Play All" option.

• International Classics English Breathing Letters (1:41, 1080p) - The U.S. theatrical release's opening credits with Goblin's music and some voice-over narration in English.

• Original U.S. Television Spots (1:46, upconverted to 1080p) - presents U.S. TV Spot #1 (0:36), U.S. TV Spot #2 (0:36), and U.S. TV Spot #3 (0:36). The spots are shown in 1.33:1 with an LPCM 2.0 mix. There is a "Play All" option.

• Original U.S. Radio Spots (2:23) - offers five radio spots for Suspiria: Radio Spot #1 (0:29), Radio Spot #2 (0:28), Radio Spot #3 (0:29), Double Feature Radio Spot #1 (0:31), and Double Feature Radio Spot #2 (0:29). There is a "Play All" option.

Suspiria 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Suspiria was previously available on 4K UHD in a crowd-sourced limited edition in the UK and in an "Ultimate Edition" from Koch Media in Germany along with the 2018 remake. Both releases are out of print, however, which makes Synapse Films' two-disc set the definitive release to own at the moment. The BFI recently announced that it will be premiering brand-new 4K restorations of seventeen Argento films, including Suspiria. The restoration from Cinecittà may look marvelous, too, but it will be difficult to surpass this cinematographer-approved 2160p presentation. It would be nice to have it with Dolby Vision, too, but the HDR10 on the Synapse is outstanding. I would also recommend seeking out the Umbrella and Cult Films BDs that Svet covered on our site. They have exclusive supplements not found on this set, including an illuminating commentary with Kim Newman and Alan Jones on the UK disc. If you don't own any of the Anchor Bay or Blue Underground DVDs, the Umbrella is worth picking up to obtain the 25th Anniversary SUSPIRIA Documentary. The Synapse set is a MUST OWN and earns my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.