Suzy is unable to understand anything and she goes to the academy the next morning. Next morning she is welcomed by a teacher Ms. Tanner and the vice directress Madame Blanc, who had been a famous ballet dancer. Suzy sees that they are talking to a couple of policemen about a student who was found murdered in a brutal way. Suzy overhears this and she tells about her encounter with the girl the previous night, thinking that it would help the police. Ms. Tanner takes her along for the tour of the academy, and in the way they meet creepy looking man, Pavlov who works in the academy. Ms. Tanner gets Suzy acquainted with her fellow mates and leaves.
Sarah, another American who was a close friend of Pat (the girl who had died) befriends Suzy. One day, while going to the practice hall, the cook of the academy shines a knife at Suzy’s face. She feels weak and she collapses in the hall. She is prescribed a bland meal by the doctor that includes cheese, red wine, and a fruit. As Suzy and Sarah’s friendship grows stronger, Sarah tells her about the absurd things happening in the academy, but Suzy is never able to listen to it as she feels drowsy and falls asleep after her meals.The pianist, Daniel a blind man comes to the academy with his guide dog and one day, his dog is accused of biting Madame Blanc’s nephew. Daniel argues and denies such thing occurring and he is thrown out of the academy. The same night, he leaves the bar with the aid of his dog and comes to an empty piazza. His dog starts barking frantically, but Daniel does not feel anybody’s presence and tries to calm him. The dog is overpowered by an invisible force and he attacks his master, tearing his throat.
One day, Sarah tries to count the footsteps of the teachers who ‘supposedly’ leave school after sometime. She notes it down and then tries to tell it to Suzy, but again the drowsiness engulfs her into slumber. Sarah guided by the footsteps, goes alone to uncover the mystery, but she too is killed.
Suzy is very disturbed by Sarah’s abrupt absence and she is informed that she has left the school without informing. Suzy goes to meet the local guardian of Sarah a psychologist, Frank Mandel, who tells her that the academy was founded by a Greek immigrant Helena Markos who was widely believed to be a witch. He also told her that a coven can only survive with the queen.
Suzy returns to the academy and she resolves to unravel the mystery. She gets the note on which the number footsteps and directions were written by Sarah. She throws away the ‘prescribed’ food and wine given by the academy and notices that the wine is thicker than the usual. She goes and then comes to a place and turns the blue irises on the wall and a door opens a way to a narrow passage. Suzy goes inside and finds the teachers along with the Romanian servant and Madame Blanc’s nephew. She understood that this was the coven of the witches that Frank Mandel was talking about, but she could not find Helena, the queen of the coven.
She stumbles upon something and a drawer opens and she sees Sarah’s body nailed to a coffin. Shocked by seeing this, she sneaks into other room where a lady awakes from the bed. When Suzy draws back the curtain covering the bed, she discovers nothing and Helena tells her that she will kill her. A lightning’s reflection draws out the outline of Helena’s body and Suzy stabs her with a plastic knife. This causes a chain reaction, leading to a vriety of events like teachers are choked to death, the glass windows start shattering, the walls and pillar collapse and finally the entire academy catches fire.
The movie ends with Suzy safely coming out of the academy, laughing and walking towards the town.
Suspiria is an amazing movie with an unusual storyline. The music is creepy and mysterious adding to the scene. Jessica Harper’s acting lacks a lot, but Stefania Casini, Alida Valli and Joan Benett have given their best. I would strongly recommend to horror lovers to see this movie.
