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Argento Red
Colorway synopsis:
One of the most prominent colors in giallo films, especially Dario Argento’s, is the bright, gaudy, overripe blood-red. It’s not a realistic blood-red, it’s more of an iridescent scarlet, with slight glistening hues of pink and orange. One reason this is the case, is because filmmakers like Argento wanted the scenes with blood in them to stand out more; to shock the viewers more. Also, I’m thinking it was much harder to make fake blood look realistic in the 1970s.
Red also appears as a mood setter in “Suspiria,” most noticeably in moments when evil is lurking and there is danger just around the corner, which is an understandable choice, as red is instinctually an alarming color. Argento isn’t the only giallo horror filmmaker who incorporated this alluringly colored red as blood in his films. However, he is certainly the most known for his use of copious amounts of this crimson, paint-like blood-red, like in “Suspiria,” and his other films such as “Deep Red,” “Tenebrae,” and “Inferno.”
What would a Suspiria Collection be without an Argento red?
If you’re more curious about giallo films, I recommend checking out directors Mario Bava or Brian de Palma, and for a more recent influence of giallo, check out the films, Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho,” and the much anticipated “Maxxxine,” by Ti West. It’s so fun to see this subgenre of horror relevant even in today’s cinema!