INTERVIEW – JAMES GRACEY talks Dario Argento

Published on: 14th March, 2010

INTERVIEW - JAMES GRACEY talks Dario Argento  | read this item

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Mention Italian horror and one of the first names to come to mind is Dario Argento. The master filmmaker responsible for such classics as Suspiria and Tenebrae has already been the subject of various texts, and now James Gracey is the latest to analyze Argento’s forty-year career – from 1970’s L’uccello dalle piume di cristallo/The Bird with the Crystal Plumage to last year’s Giallo.

James discusses his thoughts on Argento’s work and his experiences writing his biography…

What is it about Dario Argento that convinced you to write a book about his career?
“Dario Argento is one of my favourite film directors. His films are unique in the horror genre in that they are stunningly photographed, inimitably stylish and nightmarishly surreal. Such a provocative body of work as his really stands out and he has singlehandedly created some of the most breathtakingly beautiful and disturbing moments in horror cinema. With his stories, the destination isn’t always important, but the journey to it is. His masterful use of music and sound also add to his heady and evocative atmospheres. I had toyed with the idea of writing a book about his film work since I left university in 2003. After I built up a body of published work in my free time writing for various magazines and websites I submitted a proposal to Kamera Books and they gave me the go-head to pen a book about Argento. As well submitting the proposal to the publishers, I also sent them a piece I wrote for an independent New York based magazine called Paracinema titled Dreaming in Red: The Pornographication of Death and Violence in the films of Dario Argento. I believe this went some way to help convince them I could tackle this project.”

There have already been numerous books about his work, including Alan Jones’ Profondo Argento and Chris John Gallant’s Art of Darkness: The Cinema of Dario Argento. How have you approached the material in a new and interesting way?
“As I wrote it I tried to keep in mind what I as a fan would like to read about in a book about Dario Argento. I hope it will act as a basic and accessible introduction to Argento’s film work for those who maybe aren’t too familiar with it already. I also hope that it will appeal to hardcore fans. Hopefully some of my enthusiasm will manifest itself in the writing and it will seem fresh and appealing. An added bonus is that it covers Argento’s more recent work too – including a segment on Giallo. The only other book that is as up to date is a new edition of Maitland McDonagh’s Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento. This book is the cornerstone of all Argento studies and I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone who wants to delve that little bit deeper into Argento’s dark world.”

How supportive was Dario Argento and how involved in the development was he?
“Unfortunately Dario Argento himself was unable to contribute his time or participate in the project, but I was lucky enough to interview several people who have worked with him – Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Sean Keller and Marco Werba all kindly found time to answer questions and contribute to my research. Links to the interviews I conducted with them can be found on my blog. They really helped throw some valuable insight into what it was like to work with someone as influential and respected as Argento.”

Which of his films in particular have had the greatest impact on you and what is your response to those who state his best work is long behind him?
“My favourite Argento film is probably Inferno. It was also one of the first Argento films I ever watched, so its impact is even more resonant. Outside of the films of David Lynch, another director whose work I admire deeply, Inferno is perhaps the closest any filmmaker has come to capturing the pure essence of a nightmare on celluloid. Everything from the visually stunning lighting, lush cinematography, unique atmosphere pregnant with doomful foreboding and the narrative’s defiance of logic and reason, adds to its nightmarish quality. I especially love the scenes in which Rose explores the labyrinthine basement and the underwater ballroom. The sound effects, the unreal, hellish lighting, the eerily serene atmosphere, the taut uneasiness that hangs heavy as soon as she leaves her apartment. These are the shards that combine to create one of the most beautiful and nightmarish scenes in any horror film – let alone an Argento film.”

To those who say his best work is behind him, I would say in his defense I think Dario Argento is a director who has always been true to his experimental roots and never been content to rest on his laurels. He could easily have churned out carbon copies of the likes of Suspiria and Deep Red throughout his career, but he chose to wander down other paths. Sure, the resulting destinations have not always been successful, but they have at least been interesting and daring. Argento has always been at the forefront of horror cinema and cutting edge technology. He was the first Italian filmmaker to employ the use of CGI in his work and he continues to be an influence to other filmmakers today. Not bad for a man who turns 70 this year!”

How long did the entire writing process take and did you already have a published lined up when you were finished?
“The entire writing process took about six months. The first three months I spent researching and sourcing all the films that I didn’t already own. Some of them were quite obscure and only available without subtitles or on VHS. Others were more readily available. I endeared much painstaking research as I had to spend whole afternoons and evenings watching Argento films and various other Italian horror titles. As you can imagine, I took this part of the research very seriously indeed! The latter three months were spent typing up notes I’d compiled, organizing the structure of the book and then sitting down to write it. Proofreading, amendments and such came later. As I said earlier, I already had a publisher lined up and it was just a question of keeping my head down and meeting the deadline. It was a really great experience and I surprised myself by how disciplined I was. It never felt like a chore, I enjoyed every moment of it and will hopefully have the opportunity to do it again soon.”

Do you have a second book planned and what kind of subject would you wish to tackle next?
“I have been invited to contribute a chapter to another forthcoming book on Argento’s work. As this project is still in its infancy I can’t really tell you much about it I’m afraid. I have a few other ideas for projects I’d like to embark on and the idea of throwing myself into the whole process again to write a book is really appealing. Horror cinema is my passion and where my main interests are and I hope to continue writing about it and maybe even be able to make a living out of it one day.”

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