Images from Suspiria (1977 & 2018) 

While watching Suspiria might not have been the most enjoyable experience when it comes to storyline, the analysis of the two different versions, with a focus on its visual representation, highlights how different waves of feminism impact impressions of the film as well as how feminist ideals can be used in media. Argento’s version has become famous for its aesthetics and untraditional gender roles, allowing women to be in focus throughout the whole movie while reducing men to (less than) supporting characters. At the same time, the film has received criticism for its misogynistic themes, something which Guadagnino seems not to have agreed with or overlooked in the creation of his own version. In an interview from 2018, Guadagnino describes Argento’s film as being “soaked in the ideas of feminist art”, and his own version to be a feminist production. However, similar to Argento’s, Guadagnino’s film has received criticism for its view on women. One example of this can be found in The Washington Post, which describes how despite Guadagnino’s attempt in portraying the complexity of women “There’s also a disturbing, if unintended, undercurrent of misogyny, epitomized (…) by the theme of witchcraft (a manifestation of men’s fear of women’s power (…))”. Guadagnino’s version had the opportunity to respond to Argento’s criticism by engaging in feminist theory. Instead, the film, similar to Argento’s version, highlights the danger of female power to the patriarchal order.


Argento’s film has stereotypically feminine aesthetics which speak to contemporary feminist ideals. This in combination with the female heavy cast can make the film appear as pro-feminism, however, this can be seen as the result of a generational change in feminist thought. In the aritcle ‘Feminism versus Femininity’ it is described how “contemporary young women have the confidence and position in the world to be able to enjoy ‘girlie’ practices in a way that second wave feminists did not.” They continue by describing how femininity can be “central to a politic of agency, confidence, and resistance”.  The change in how girlie aestethics are perceived by 2nd wave feminists and 3rd and 4th wave feminists can help explaining why Guadagnino and many of the reviewers see Argento’s film as feminist.


By understanding how feminism has changed our perception of aesthetics it becomes possible to engage a reading of the film which examines what feminist art is and how it should be portrayed in modern media. It highlights the danger of aesthetics, and how these are perceived differently in different contexts and times. It is important to address normative power structures existing in films and aesthetics in order to progress towards equality in media and architecture. Through questioning and problematising the portrayal of women and offering an alternative reading of the film which takes into account the directors’ adherence to patriarchal norms, we can begin to understand at a deeper level how these biased assumptions exist in architecture, media and society and actively produce art which questions these.

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Suspiria - A reflection on aestethics 

I found myself quite confused writing my dissertation. I had chosen two films with strong visual impacts and had a belief that they would relate to feminist discourse, I just was not sure exactly how. The films in question are Dario Argento’s Suspiria from 1977 and Luca Guadagnino’s from 2018. The two films follow the student Suzy who arrives at a dance academy which is secretly controlled by a coven of witches. Both films are known for their visual appearances but for very different reasons. While Argento’s piece is colourful and ornamental, full of stereotypically feminine attributes, Guadagnino has rendered his version into a modernist mecca. This set up for an opportunity to explore how different aesthetics affect the portrayal of women in film, something I dedicated my dissertation to.

(Also, before continuing reading, I want to mention that both films are generally misogynistic. My actual dissertation goes through this, as well as numerous articles online. This blogpost is a reflection on why they might be perceived as feminist despite that.)

I did not even like Argento’s Suspiria when I watched it 2 years ago. I thought it was a pretty bad attempt on a horror movie, with a weak storyline and boring characters. However, there was still something about the film that stuck with me. The imagery of the film presents something which is not that common in horror, stereotypically feminine aesthetics. Pink. Flowers. Rococo furniture. It makes an imprint on the viewer’s mind, the architecture becomes more memorable than the grotesque (and kind of weird) scenes where the witches kill people. This memory (and recommendations from friends) made me watch the 2018 version, despite the fact that a little voice in my head was trying to warn me.