Dario Argento was born on September 7, 1940, in Rome, Italy, the first-born son of famed Italian producer Salvatore Argento and Brazilian fashion model Elda Luxardo. Argento recalls getting his ideas for filmmaking from his close-knit family from Italian folk tales told by his parents and other family members, including an aunt who told him ...
His scripts often contain some kind of strange scientific or medical factoid.
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Frequent use of Steadicam
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Frequently shoots his films in Turin
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His protagonists are usually American or English foreigners somewhere in Europe who witness a violent crime at the beginning of the film and proceed to be threatened by and try to foil the villains.
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The closing credits of all his films begin with the caption "You have been watching" followed by the movie's title.
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In his movies, whenever a male murderer's hands only are shown (especially in scenes killing women) Dario Argento uses his own hands.
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All narration in his films is his own voice
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Closeups of eyes, frequently that of the killer. Main character is usually involved in an "artistic" profession, like writing or music.
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Quote
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Films are dreams. Many, many critics say to me that my films are not good because they are too unbelievable, but this is my style. I tell stories like they are dreams. This is my imagination.
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Is it right to be obsessed with looking at terrible things and sharing them with other people?
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[The Stendhal Syndrome (1996)] "Ever since my very first movie censors around the world have focused their attention to my work. The only movie that has never been cut anywhere is The Cat O' Nine Tails. Everything else has been tampered with to some degree. Here Anna is affected by the pictures she sees fixed to gallery walls. Audiences are affected by the violent images of mine they see on their screens. Suspiria has often been cited as causing viewers to faint. But this is my art and I'll defend it to my dying day. Although watching violence in movies may make some people aggressive, they can learn about their world from that. Surely if there was no violence in the media, everyone would have to learn only by real experience. Now I don't know about you, but I don't particularly want to go out and pick a fight to get a bloody nose. Removing it to a cathartic experience is a much better idea and why The Stendhal Syndrome has its place as an important argument in the anti-censorship debate".
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Each film I make changes me in some way. When I start the picture I'm one person and by the time I finish I'm another.
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Deep Red (1975) is my favorite movie. The character David Hemmings plays is very much based on my own personality. It was a very strong film, very brutal, and of course the censors were upset. It was cut by almost an hour in some countries.
The opera we used in the film [Opera (1987)] was "Macbeth", which has a tradition - also in the theatre - of being bad luck. People all warned against using it, suggested using "La Traviata" or "La Bohème", and I said, "This is just a story, don't be foolish," but maybe they were right. With ["Opera"] I had a lot of English crew - that was something new for me - and I learned many things from them. Overall, though, it was a terrible experience. You know, many cuts were made after I was finished, even though I protested. Many things happened. Vanessa Redgrave was scheduled to be in the film, and she pulled out. One of the actors was crushed by a car. I was engaged to be married, but by the end of the picture that was finished. My father died during the shooting . . . all kinds of things. But I felt I had started with "Macbeth", so I had to finish. And anyway, there could be no ravens in Cosi Fan Tutte.
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Horror by definition is the emotion of pure revulsion. Terror of the same standard, is that of fearful anticipation.
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The process of writing and directing drives you to such extremes that it's natural to feel an affinity with insanity. I approach that madness as something dangerous and I'm afraid, but also I want to go to it, to see what's there, to embrace it. I don't know why but I'm drawn.
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I wanted to develop the idea of the Three Mothers, the origin of all sorrow and pain. Suspiria (1977) is about The Mother of Sighs; and Inferno (1980) is about the Mother of Darkness.
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Horror is the future. And you cannot be afraid. You must push everything to the absolute limit or else life will be boring. People will be boring. Horror is like a serpent; always shedding its skin, always changing. And it will always come back. It can't be hidden away like the guilty secrets we try to keep in our subconscious.
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[Phenomena (1985)] was inspired by something I heard about insects being used to solve crimes, and because insects have always fascinated me I began to make a story around this idea. You know, it's a terrible thing, but there are many insects that are disappearing. Becoming extinct. But most people only want to kill them. You know, insects have souls, too; they're telepathic . . . amazing. People want to save the whales and dolphins, but nobody wants to save the insects. I'm a vegetarian, because I don't want to kill things to eat.
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We had many good directors - John Carpenter, Brian De Palma - but things have become polluted by business, money and bad relationships. The success of the horror genre has led to its downfall.
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The sound, it looks wonderful
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I like women, especially beautiful ones. If they have a good face and figure, I would much prefer to watch them being murdered than an ugly girl or man. I certainly don't have to justify myself to anyone about this. I don't care what anyone thinks or reads into it. I have often had journalists walk out of interviews when I say what I feel about this subject.
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Fact
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President of the 'Filmmakers of the Present' jury at the 69th Locarno International Film Festival in 2016.
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The opening scene of "The Stendhal Syndrome" was shot inside the famous Uffizi Gallery in Florence. As of 2016, Dario Argento is the only director who's ever received permission to film inside the museum.
Opened up a store and museum in Rome called "Profondo Rosso". It is similar to Forbidden Planet in London, and has memorabilia from many horror, sci-fi and fantasy movies. In the basement of the store there are special effect pieces from some of his films. [November 1997]
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Grandfather of his daughter Asia's children: Anna Lou Castoldi (born June 20, 2001) and Nicola Giovanni Civetta (September 15, 2008).
$1.6 Million
