Unfulfilled Symphony: Dario Argento’s Lost Terror at Sanremo

This article is the first instalment in a series documenting lesser-known projects and media related to Dario Argento over the years.

Occasionally during my research for an upcoming piece, I stumble upon intriguing tidbits from newspaper articles that unexpectedly become the foundation for a new article on something somewhat different. This time, as I was reworking my piece on Dario Argento's direction for the Trussardi Action fashion show in 1986 for an upcoming magazine article, it coincided with the week-long event of the Sanremo Music Festival—a televisual tradition in our household, thanks to my husband's love for Italian chart music. Little did I know that these two seemingly unrelated events were connected. 

You might also be curious about the connection between these events. Amidst Argento's unconventional projects in the 1980s, which included a Fiat car advertisement, a fashion show for Trussardi, and an ambitious but unsuccessful attempt at directing a bloodthirsty version of Verdi’s opera Rigoletto, he ventured into creative direction for one of Italy's most beloved television events: the 37th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival in 1987.

Established in 1948 in Viareggio as the Italian Song Festival (Festival della Canzone Italiana) before being retooled and relocating to Sanremo in 1951, Sanremo (Festival di Sanremo) stands as a cornerstone of Italian cultural heritage, renowned for its grandeur and prestige. It holds the distinction of being the progenitor of the Eurovision Song Contest, which as my fellow Europeans can attest to, is a huge event across the continent which often serves as the perfect excuse for a party. 

Yet, to truly grasp the essence of Sanremo, one must understand its significance within Italy itself. Eurovision, while significant, occupies a secondary position in the hearts of Italians, yielding to the cultural stature of Sanremo. Winning here offers the option to forgo Eurovision representation, with victory in Sanremo seen as the ultimate prize. Moreover, triumph at Sanremo — or even participation within it — guarantees not only acclaim but also ensures a trajectory of chart-topping success and unparalleled publicity, making it a significant boost for its performers. 

For its broadcaster, Rai, Sanremo boasts staggering viewing figures in the present day. The final in 2024 drew a peak of 17 million viewers, capturing a remarkable 70.8% of all television watchers! Its enduring popularity across generations stands as a testament to its broad appeal.

The contest has been graced by a myriad of Italian television royalty, ranging from the current host, Amadeus, to Paolo Bonolis and Carlo Conti, and even cultural icon Raffaella Carrà. Guest hosts have included Sylvia Koscina, Anna Falchi, and giallo scream queen Edwige Fenech in 1991 (alongside A Blade in the Dark and The New York Ripper actor, Andrea Occhipinti). However, perhaps the most celebrated host of the contest was the Italian television presenter Pippo Baudo, who holds the record for hosting the contest 13 times.

Andrea Occhipinti & Edwige Fenech at Sanremo in 1991

It was Pippo Baudo, slated to host the 1987 edition of the contest, who approached Dario Argento to inject new life and a modern edge into Sanremo. The news that Argento was in contention to helm the creative direction for the song contest was met with amazement, as it represented a bold departure from the more conventional approaches typically taken when it came to orchestrating the event. 

In a 1986 interview with Adele Gallotti for La Stampa in 1986, Argento discussed the project but remained coy, suggesting that divulging his plans would detract from the excitement surrounding his concept for the competition. However, Argento emphasised his appreciation for music, particularly its ability to evoke emotions in his audience, as demonstrated throughout his cinematic career. Utilising impressive soundscapes to instil terror, Argento asserted that his films were not only cinematic triumphs but also musical ones, underscoring his suitability to creatively direct a music show.

During this phase of Argento's career, he ventured into various creative endeavours. In an interview with the L’unita newspaper regarding his creative direction of Sanremo, he reflected on this aspect, stating:

“The fact is that I like to change, do new things. I did a fashion show in Milan, with Trussardi. I liked it very much. I change a lot. I change places, people, houses.”

Argento highlighted his staging of the Trussardi Action fashion show as evidence of his ability to direct live performances. In this show, he meticulously attended to aesthetic details to create visual drama while also incorporating techniques to evoke fear in the live audience, such as simulating weather effects. These techniques may have been replicated in some form at Sanremo, or through other stage theatrics designed to generate tension. For Argento, the fusion of music and visuals with a live audience was paramount, creating a synergy that intensified the overall impact of the experience—a thrilling sensation he and Baudo believed was lacking in the competition's staging.

Traditionally, Sanremo performances adhered to a rather conventional format, wherein singers would take the stage to present their songs against a backdrop and staging that remained uniform throughout the event. This aspect of Sanremo drew criticism from Argento, as for the director, it was imperative that he worked with each singer to ensure that each individual performance would have its own unique feel as each performer had their own world to share with the audience. Again, this would have marked a significant creative divergence from what audiences had grown accustomed to in the competition.

Discussing audience expectations, Argento stated that, as Sanremo was a competition, he wanted to give back to the public the emotion of a race or a football game, stimulating a neurotic excitement within them in anticipation of the results. Argento also made the bold claim that he aimed to keep the audience in suspense throughout the four-hour duration of the competition. Whether he referred to a single show or the entire week remains uncertain, but sustaining suspense for a full week of four-hour shows would indeed have been some feat! 

However, the project failed to come to fruition. According to Argento scholar Alan Jones, in an article on Opera for Cinefantastique magazine, Argento opted to forego the undertaking of Sanremo in favour of the aforementioned Fiat advertisement. This advertisement marked his debut in the medium and offered him an opportunity to experiment with new filming techniques, essentially serving as a dress rehearsal for Opera without the added expense. Consequently, an Argento-directed version of Sanremo never materialised. 

With the project failing to ever get off the ground, we're left with little insight into what Argento's vision for Sanremo might have entailed. However, it's fun to envision the maestro of horror infusing the unsuspecting Sanremo audience with his trademark blend of operatic grandeur and macabre extravagance, potentially transforming it into a stage of terror and suspense. 

The La Stampa article contains some other interesting snippets, some of which I may revisit in future blog posts. However, one particular question stood out to me. Gallotti asked the director about Opera, Argento’s upcoming production at the time, and whether he was concerned about filming an adaptation of Macbeth, given the play's reputation as a harbinger of misfortune. Argento’s response? That such notions were likely mere coincidences. However, with hindsight, we know that Argento’s production was plagued by problems both professional and personal, suggesting that his dismissive attitude towards the Macbeth curse might have been overly optimistic.

Regardless, Opera would come to symbolise a pivotal period in Argento’s career, reflecting his experience exploring further artistic endeavours in the mid-1980s. The unrealised direction of Sanremo serves as a notable example of these ventures. Though never materialised, it held the promise of blending his cinematic expertise with the world of music in a way that could have been groundbreaking.

Sources:

https://archive.org/details/stampa-sera_1986-10-25

https://archive.org/details/unita_1986-10-23

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