Trauma (1994)

To me, this movie is perfection.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Great Film overall

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Dario Argento's Trauma is simultaneously one of the most loopy and coherent efforts from the maestro. Most of his earlier work is pure sensory and atmospheric bliss, detached from things like logic and story. While this one does in fact have a discernible narrative to go along with its giallo splendor, it's still as whacked out as anything else in his ouvre. This was the first of many times he would cast his exotic beauty of a daughter Asia in a lead role, here playing troubled Romanian teenager Aura Petrescu, on the run from dark forces that seem to plague her family. Her lunatic mother (a terrifying Piper Laurie) has her committed and examined by a freaky Doctor (Fredric Forrest in a glorious train wreck of a performance), meanwhile a mysterious serial killer called the headhunter is out there somewhere, decapitating people with a piano wire. It all gets a bit overwhelming for poor Aura, and she runs off, straight into the protective arms of an ex drug addict (Christopher Rydell) who becomes her guardian and eventual lover. Argento is terrific in the role, exuding dark beauty and burnished resilience in the face of many terrors. Brad Dourif has an intense extended cameo as a doctor with icky ties to the origin of the headhunter as well, adding a welcome bonus horror flavor. Also watch for another intense actor, James Russo, playing a police detective determined to nab the killer for good. As far as Dario's stuff goes, this is about as complete and cohesive a narrative as you will find. Granted it's not the garish psychedelia of classics like Suspiria, Phenomena and Inferno, but a little more subdued and clinical, a dark fairy tale that gets genuinely scary in several excellently staged scenes and provides loads of uneasy atmosphere.

Dario Argento scraping bottom.As the director's stylistic flourishes seem to be muted by the American setting - although there are some small moments here and there that work -, you're left with one of those silly giallo plots full of cheap and exploitative psychology, random narration, amateurish performances - the only decent acting's done by Brad Dourif - and no logic at all.There's a certain fascination to be gained watching rubbish like this. At least, it's Argento rubbish! There is a hypnotic quality to all his movies... even to the most atrocious ones such as this.2 out of 10 talking heads

A young man (Christopher Rydell) finds an bulimic girl (Asia Argento) who has escaped her parents. When returned to them, a killer with a unique mechanical decapitation device strikes. Soon, the two must find out who the killer is, and what they want.Released in 1993, "Trauma" has received some flak from Dario Argento fans, who consider it one of his weaker efforts. In a way, I can agree-the movie has several plot holes, the acting is largely hit and miss (Asia is pretty inexperienced here), and it's not as gory and stylish as his other films.Yet, there's still plenty to recommend in this movie. The movie is Argento's more character and plot oriented films, and it's surprisingly easy to follow. There's also still plenty of Argento's wonderful stylish touches, and while not as gory as his previous movies, there's still some great kills (including a great bit involving an elevator). The score by Pino Donnaggio, while not as good as Argento's past musicians, is still up to task. Finally, the presence of several acting vets (including James Russo, Brad Dourif, Frederic Forrest, and an excellent Piper Laurie) don't hurt at all."Trauma" is not Argento's best movie, and certainly pales in comparison to movies like "Deep Red", "Suspiria", and "Inferno." As it stands though, it's an underrated movie, and worth a look, especially if you are an Argento fan.

An appropriate way of underscoring Argento's merits as a director is to say that he allowed Dourif make his best in his cameo from Trauma (1993).I felt this,I knew this,but I only understood it fully when I realized how badly manages to treat the character actors in his movies another famous director—Lynch. I was thinking about Lynch and his way of showcasing moral teratology and about the villains he casts; Lynch had Hopper and Stanton in the cast of some of his movies—and look how muddy ,mucky makes Lynch their performances look.Dourif's cameo in Trauma (1993) is one of the most striking and sharp things to be seen in a horror ever—like Spacey in Seven, for the thrillers. Dourif gives an accurate idea of what an electric performance means—the pinnacle of sharpness .There is an electric austerity and limpidity —his small role being played in a straightforward way. His role is simultaneously sharp and electric and impressing and snappy—a snarling and snared man.Moreover, Dourif's cameo fits the movie. Or,the movie is not below this cameo. (For a counterexample ,I will name Robert Picardo in Stargate Atlantis; I enjoy much that series, and I have seen Robert Picardo doing a cameo in its third season—it seemed to me that he did not belong to that set—he was too god, too strong and subtle and vigorous and skilled for the role and for the movie.)A performance much better and more stylish than the movie is not only useless—it is bad. Argento knew how to frame Dourif's role.I would not even like that Dourif's role here was bigger; it is striking at this size.You can see that Dourif does not save himself;on the contrary,he gives himself fully,and with over-measure.He is one of the best living actors. Within the character performances, he has found real universality. "Trauma" is a good movie—despite the lack of success; and the very best thing in it is Dourif's cameo.An authentic B film is not directed to the crowds; it is directed to the genre's fans, or to the director's or the B actors' fans—if there are any. Sometimes, it is directed to no one especially. So, something interesting may be achieved.B movies seem to promise much, because there is the hypothesis that the director will be free to do what he wishes. The B cinema promises this fantastic opportunity. You can publish fine things as pulp; you can film beautiful things as B films, away from the impediments of the mainstream. There is, or at least there seems to be a certain degree of creative freedom. Commercially, these movies are so hopeless that one might find a chance to hit the jackpot in another way—by creativity and intelligence. It may result at least a thing of fun—of unrestricted and unconventional fun. A B movie, an independent one,or sometimes even a TV one may achieve this. On the other hand,the B is, of course, only the chance, the opportunity. One might try to be independent here. Unfortunately, most often the director seems not to wish anything. The greatest B movie is the one we dream about. In the Argento movie here, there are a few strong scenes, the best of this film—those with Dourif.I am a fan of Argento's cinema, and also a fan of this film.