"Suspiria" (77) A bloody Snow White colored in the three primary colors of light

“Big eyes” were essential for the role of Susie, the main character.

Daria Nicolodi was originally going to play the main character, Susie. However, considering the need to market the film in the US, it was decided that an American actress would be best, and Jessica Harper was chosen instead. Nicolodi makes a brief cameo appearance in the airport scene at the beginning of the film. She also voices the raspy witch Helena Markos.

Dario Argento was attracted to Jessica Harper's "big eyes" when he saw her performance in " Phantom of the Paradise " (1974). The original screenplay for "Suspiria" was written as a story about girls around 10 to 12 years old. However, when the film's investors read the script, they were completely opposed to it, saying, "A movie about young girls getting involved in violence is absolutely no good!" (A reasonable opinion, I guess). So Argento and Nicolodi tried to calm the situation by raising the age of the students at the ballet school to around 20 years old.

“Suspiria” (C) VIDEA SPA

However, despite her age, the script was not rewritten. The reason why the students' lines sound childish for their age is because of this. The height of the doorknob was even intentionally set to the same height as the actresses' heads, making it seem as if a short child were opening the door. For Dario Argento, "Suspiria" had to be a story about innocent girls getting caught up in a bloody tragedy. In fact, Argento directed Susie with the image of a girl around 8 years old. That's why it was essential for the protagonist to have large eyes like a young girl. Pure, innocent, pure eyes.

The motif of a girl suffering misfortune would later be followed in " Phenomena " (1985). Jennifer Connelly, who played the leading role, was 13 years old at the time.

The Goblin soundtrack wears down the audience's spirits.