Occhiali neri/ Dark Glasses
Diana, a girl who works as an escort, is chased by an attacker on board a van, who turns out to be a murderer of prostitutes. The girl, in an attempt to escape, is involved in a car accident and when she wakes up she is told that she has lost her sight.
"Dark Glasses": Between Stylistic Revival and Narrative Collapse
The return of Dario Argento behind the camera with "Dark Glasses" ten years after "Dracula 3D" was an anticipated event, and the first part of the film initially seems to satisfy that expectation. The setting in **Rome**, a city flooded by an eclipse and immediately afterwards wrapped in a nocturnal and vicious atmosphere, is the perfect canvas for a classic Italian giallo. The opening sequences, with the introduction of Diana, a luxury escort (played by a good and likable Ilenia Pastorelli), and the immediate threat of a serial killer, unmistakably recall the "atmospheres and visual style of Italian thriller/horror cinema from fifty years ago". There is the visceral pleasure of recognizing the "Argento gaze", capable of delivering unique shots, such as claustrophobic close-ups or the "plongée" (high-angle shots) that amplify the sense of oppression.
The Collapse and the Paradox
Unfortunately, the illusion shatters quickly. The plot, based on a screenplay written with Franco Ferrini dating all the way back to 2002, suffers the weight of a dated and, in some ways, lazy concept. The film too quickly reduces itself to a "long, grueling chase" that sacrifices the suspense of the "giallo" in favor of a "survival" thriller with increasingly vague contours.
When Diana, following an accident caused by fleeing the killer, loses her sight and finds herself looking after little Chin (the only other survivor of the crash), the film attempts to introduce a "human" and "sentimental" element. However, this is precisely where the narrative collapse becomes most evident. The killer is revealed with a haste and banality that "completely nullify the enigmatic part" typical of the genre. The "who is it?" is replaced by a "when will he catch them?", and the answer to this latter question is articulated in sequences that veer dangerously toward the "paradoxical and the inexplicable".
Dialogues, Performances, and Bittersweet Finale
The handling of the characters and, above all, the dialogues represent a major weakness. The conversations are often "excessively simple, almost didactic", making it difficult to empathize with the protagonists or take the impending threat seriously. Ilenia Pastorelli's performance, although energetic, is caged by writing that forces her into reactions that are at times excessive, if not frankly unrealistic. The presence of Asia Argento in a secondary role is a familiar touch for fans, but it is not enough to raise the general level.
The climax of this strange mix of noir and grotesque is reached in some sequences (such as the now infamous scene with the eels, which provoked involuntary hilarity and strong disappointment among viewers) and in the "tragicomical finale". The epilogue, which sees Diana (now blind and with her guide dog) saying goodbye to Chin, has a tired and melancholic quality, leaving the viewer with a sense of incompleteness.
Conclusion: Is It Still a Must-See Film?
Despite its noticeable and undeniable flaws — from the fragility of the plot to the poverty of the dialogues — "Dark Glasses" is a "particular film that should be seen", especially for those who have an affection for Dario Argento's cinema.
It is not a great film, but it is the work of a Maestro who, even stumbling, still manages to deliver "flashes of visual genius" and evoke a golden age of Italian genre cinema. It is a work that, for its involuntarily bizarre combination of tension and absurdity, provokes a "strong emotional reaction" — be it indignation or laughter — and that, for better or worse, does not leave one indifferent.
