I like TENEBRE even if there's something definitely lacking about this film compared to other Dario master works. For starters, the film looks, well, kinda ordinary. No Vittorio Storaro behind the lens here. The look IS intentional (1980s brightness) but I'm not sure it works. The story is typically flimsy but contrary to what other reviewers have written here, the story actually makes sense and in fact is rather brilliant and had a lot of potential. But in TENEBRE the good story line is used only as a basis for bloody mayhem when in fact it could have been really interesting had some of the characters and the story line points had been fleshed out more (no pun intended).
But even a standard 1970s/ early 1980s Dario Argento film is better than the best from Hollywood. There are a couple of brilliant scenes in TENEBRE, including the "roof" scene and the whole moment where the young girl accidentally ends up at the killer's house after being chased by a Doberman. It's excellent, even if it's a bit stretched out. The moment with John Steiner and the broken window. Chilling. And when (boring) John Saxon waits in the public park for a rendezvous, well, it's an another excellent scene and it outshines anything made by the overrated Brian DePalma. Unfortunately, there are more standard scenes than brilliant ones and I had a distinctive feeling while watching TENEBRE that Dario was making fun of his one style of film-making. Why? Me thinks because of two reasons (It's unfortunate because Dario's films aren't usually self-deprecatory) : first, TENEBRE's story was inspired by real events of an obsessive fan stalking Dario. And second, after the financial failure of the near brilliant INFERNO, Dario's next project was most likely produced with a few strings attached. The first thing that's apparent while watching TENEBRE is that it has more female nudity than any other Dario film made before (or since). I'm certain this was an understanding between the producers and Dario. Dario accepted but being the smart filmmaker that he is, he used this opportunity to kill three birds with one stone: first, with the story in TENEBRE he lashes out at the obsessive fans out there that have taken his work and twisted it to their own personal vision. Second, by creating his sleaziest film yet he also trumps the producers lascivious wishes by making almost every woman look like crazed whores. And third, by making almost all the women look like drag queens, Dario ridicules all the critics who dismiss him as being a sexist and a misogynist.
Case in point : the flashback scene on the beach, with Eva Robins, is one of the film's highlights. This scene works on many levels, certainly considering Eva used to be a He. Dario was really playing with audiences and critics here.
IMO, this film is the last great Argento film. The 'camera roaming around the house' scene is one of the greatest ever put on film. With a bit of editing here and there, I believe this film should be re-released as a type of film they don't make anymore.
But even a standard 1970s/ early 1980s Dario Argento film is better than the best from Hollywood. There are a couple of brilliant scenes in TENEBRE, including the "roof" scene and the whole moment where the young girl accidentally ends up at the killer's house after being chased by a Doberman. It's excellent, even if it's a bit stretched out. The moment with John Steiner and the broken window. Chilling. And when (boring) John Saxon waits in the public park for a rendezvous, well, it's an another excellent scene and it outshines anything made by the overrated Brian DePalma. Unfortunately, there are more standard scenes than brilliant ones and I had a distinctive feeling while watching TENEBRE that Dario was making fun of his one style of film-making. Why? Me thinks because of two reasons (It's unfortunate because Dario's films aren't usually self-deprecatory) : first, TENEBRE's story was inspired by real events of an obsessive fan stalking Dario. And second, after the financial failure of the near brilliant INFERNO, Dario's next project was most likely produced with a few strings attached. The first thing that's apparent while watching TENEBRE is that it has more female nudity than any other Dario film made before (or since). I'm certain this was an understanding between the producers and Dario. Dario accepted but being the smart filmmaker that he is, he used this opportunity to kill three birds with one stone: first, with the story in TENEBRE he lashes out at the obsessive fans out there that have taken his work and twisted it to their own personal vision. Second, by creating his sleaziest film yet he also trumps the producers lascivious wishes by making almost every woman look like crazed whores. And third, by making almost all the women look like drag queens, Dario ridicules all the critics who dismiss him as being a sexist and a misogynist.
Case in point : the flashback scene on the beach, with Eva Robins, is one of the film's highlights. This scene works on many levels, certainly considering Eva used to be a He. Dario was really playing with audiences and critics here.
IMO, this film is the last great Argento film. The 'camera roaming around the house' scene is one of the greatest ever put on film. With a bit of editing here and there, I believe this film should be re-released as a type of film they don't make anymore.