‘Why are there always three?’: The Gothic occult in Dario Argento’s Three Mothers Trilogy
2017; Intellect; Volume: 5; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1386/jicms.5.2.211_1
ISSN2047-7376
Autores Tópico(s)Cinema and Media Studies
ResumoAbstract This article examines the occult and esoteric sources of Dario Argento’s Three Mothers Trilogy, comprising the films Suspiria (1977), Inferno (1980) and La terza madre (The Mother of Tears) (2007). The unique mythology created for these films does not rely on traditional Christian images of evil but instead draws from the practices and history of western esotericism, primarily that of alchemy. The Three Mothers and the powers they wield are expressed through the fundamental elements of the cinematic form, such as light, colour, sound and celluloid, rather than through the surface narrative. Although the films follow Gothic conventions, wherein witchcraft and the occult become synonymous with evil, I will argue that it is within the mise-en-scéne of the films themselves that one can discover the connections to alternative occult traditions.
Referência(s)