Trauma (1993)

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Franco Ferrini (story) and
Gianni Romoli (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 March 1993 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Some Nightmares Haunt You. Some... Can Kill You.

Plot:

A young man tries to help a teenage European girl whom escaped from a clinic hospital after witnessing the murder of her parents by a serial killer and they try to find the killer before the killer finds them.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Serial Killer | Stabbing | Murder Witness | One Word Title

Cast

Christopher Rydell	...	David Parsons
Asia Argento	...	Aura Petrescu
Piper Laurie	...	Adriana Petrescu
Frederic Forrest	...	Dr. Judd
Laura Johnson	...	Grace Harrington
Dominique Serrand	...	Stefan Petrescu
James Russo	...	Capt. Travis
Ira Belgrade	...	Arnie
Brad Dourif	...	Dr. Lloyd
Hope Alexander-Willis	...	Linda Quirk
Sharon Barr	...	Hilda Volkman
Isabell O'Connor	...	Georgia Jackson (as Isabell Monk)
Cory Garvin	...	Gabriel Pickering
Terry Perkins	...	Mrs. Pickering
Tony Saffold	...	Ben Aldrich
Peter Moore	...	Mark Leneer
Lester Purry	...	Sgt. Carver
David Chase	...	Sid Marigold
Jacqueline Kim	...	Alice (as Jacqui Kim)
Rita Vassallo	...	Rita
Stephen D'Ambrose	...	Pale man
Bonita Parsons	...	Prime woman
Gregory Beech	...	Deal man
Kevin Dutcher	...	John Miller
Kathy Quirk	...	Gare Grayson
E.A. Violet Boor	...	Mrs. Potter
Les Exodus	...	Reggae Band
Onesmo Kibira	...	Reggae Band
Innocent Mafalingundi	...	Reggae Band (as Innocent Mifalingundi)
Charles Petrus	...	Reggae Band
Lance Pollonais	...	Reggae Band
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fiore Argento	...	Farraday Clinic receptionist (uncredited)
Ric McCloud	...	Police Detective (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento

Writing credits
Franco Ferrini		(story) and
Gianni Romoli		(story) (as Giovanni Romoli) and
Dario Argento		(story)
Dario Argento		(written by) and
T.E.D. Klein		(written by)
Ruth Jessup		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Dario Argento	....	producer
Chris Beckman	....	line producer
T. David Pash	....	executive producer
Andrea Tinnirello	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Pino Donaggio

Cinematography by
Raffaele Mertes

Film Editing by
Bennett Goldberg
Dario Argento		(uncredited in English language prints)

Casting by
Ira Belgrade
Louis DiGiaimo

Production Design by
Billy Jett

Art Direction by
Nance Derby

Set Decoration by
Jacqueline Jacobson Scarfo		(as Jacqueline Jacobson)

Costume Design by
Leesa Evans

Makeup Department
Greg Funk	....	special makeup effects
Lori Guidroz	....	hair stylist: Ms. Laurie
Desne J. Holland	....	key hair stylist (as Desne Holland)
Desne J. Holland	....	key makeup artist (as Desne Holland)
Will Huff	....	special makeup effects
Tracey Levy	....	assistant key hair stylist (as Tracey Lea Roden)
Tracey Levy	....	assistant key makeup artist (as Tracey Lea Roden)
Christopher P. Martin	....	special makeup effects (as Christopher Martin)
Cheryl Ann Nick	....	assistant key hair stylist (as Cheryl Nick)
Cheryl Ann Nick	....	assistant key makeup artist (as Cheryl Nick)
Tom Savini	....	makeup artist
Tom Savini	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Steve Barnett	....	post-production supervisor
Andrew Sands	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daniel Carrey	....	second second assistant director
Philip Elins	....	second assistant director
Rod Smith	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Joel Benton	....	property master
Bob Hedstrom	....	construction coordinator
Michael Morgenthal	....	assistant art director
Cory Schubert	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Jack Bornoff	....	boom operator
Timothy A. Carpenter	....	sound effects editor
Paul Coogan	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Paul Murphy	....	physical effects supervisor

Stunts
Jack Gill	....	stunt coordinator: car crash
Ky Michaelson	....	stunt coordinator
Ky Michaelson	....	stunts
Donna Quinn	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Austen	....	24 frame video operator: Intervideo
Chris Barry	....	grip
Richard Cantu	....	first assistant camera
Nick Cupkovic	....	best boy electric
Scott Fischel	....	generator operator
Kirk R. Gardner	....	Steadicam operator (as Kirk Gardner)
Kirk R. Gardner	....	camera operator (as Kirk Gardner)
Judah Hannah	....	video assistant support services
D.J. Harder	....	second assistant camera
Kevin Kennedy	....	key grip
Dennis Lynch	....	second assistant camera
Bruce Macaulay	....	still photographer
Edgar Martin	....	best boy grip
Michael Marzovilla	....	gaffer
Michael 'Flash' McDonald	....	electrician
Thomas O'Connor	....	grip
Carlo Ontal	....	still photographer
Mike Rivard	....	videographer
Chris Skutch	....	dolly grip (as Christopher Skutch)
Chris Skutch	....	key grip (as Christopher Skutch)
Jerome Thelia	....	videographer
Chris Van Zant	....	electrician
Niel Williams	....	grip (as Neil Williams)

Casting Department
Barbara Shelton	....	local casting
Andi Wulff	....	extras casting (as Andrea Wulff)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Allyson Brown	....	wardrobe supervisor
Susan Strubel	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Jim Schimmerhorn	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Pino Donaggio	....	orchestrator
Victor Giukovl	....	conductor
Natale Massara	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Paul Giorgi	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Jon Bergholz	....	location manager
Dea Cantu	....	script supervisor (as Dea Hickox)
David Diamond	....	set production assistant
Paul Draper	....	dialogue coach
Holly Edwards	....	assistant production coordinator
Martin Allan Kloner	....	set production assistant (as Martin Kloner)
Beth Ann Lundin	....	assistant location manager (as Beth Lundin)
Michael Lupu	....	language coach: Romanian
David Ray Martin	....	assistant production coordinator
Jessica Molitor	....	physical effects assistant
Barbara Pastrovich	....	set production assistant
Nikki Porter	....	unit publicist
Abigail Sheiner	....	production coordinator
Paolo Steffan	....	synthesizer programmer
Cid Swank	....	unit publicist
Luciano Tartaglia	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• ADC Films
• Overseas FilmGroup

Distributors

• Republic Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (1995) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• Delta Vidéo Diffusion (1994) (France) (VHS)
• Ekaterinburg Art Home Video (EAHV) (Russia) (VHS)
• Laser Paradise (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra  music performed by
• Editdroid  edit in
• Encore Video  film to video transfer
• Film Finances Italia S.r.l.  completion bond
• Inter Video  24-frame video playback
• Interlock Studios  sound effects
• Leggs Inc.  grip/electric equipment
• Lighthouse Inc.  pee wee dolly equipment
• LucasArts Entertainment Company  video to laserdisc transfer
• Minnesota Film Board  the producers wish to thank
• Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp  legal services
• Northern Lights Travel  travel provided by
• Producers & Artists Services  payroll services
• The Minneapolis Film Office  the producers wish to thank

Also Known As:

Aura's Enigma (USA) (working title)
Dario Argento's Trauma (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and terror, and for some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Italy:VM14 | Australia:MA | Germany:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-18

Filming Locations:

Hopkins, Minnesota, USA

Company:

ADC Films

Trivia:

This was Dario Argento's first American production.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dario Argento: An Eye for Horror (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Loss

Impossible to recommend, but I liked it

I'm beginning to laugh at the distinctions people draw between "good" and "bad" Dario Argento films. They all seem to have some common technical elements: clever camera-work, grotesque but deliberately unrealistic violence, weird music, incomprehensible plots, "impressionistic" titles, and poor acting. None of them work perfectly, even for fans of this style. The variations between the movies, then, come from the genre accidentals – "Profondo Rosso" is a detective thriller, "Suspiria" an occult conspiracy tale, etc.; Argento seems to come along and apply his own unique vision of the giallo onto whatever horror style is fashionable at the time. It's his uniqueness, rather than his ability to produce great films, that has assured his place in the canon.

So, then, "Trauma" turns out to be exactly what we would expect from an early nineties Dario Argento film. Camera-work? Check – even in this late period, Argento's eye and technique are strange and impressive. Violence? Double check – although what the actual purpose of that Decapitron device is supposed to be, I can't imagine. Weird music? Check – orchestral rather than Goblin this time, but still louder and a little more engaged than we would expect. Odd plot, check, arbitrary title, check, bad acting, check – Asia Argento actually manages to make Aura a likable character, but you can't deny that she garbles her lines and seems mostly amateurish throughout. (And she's hardly alone in those respects.)

The slasher subgenre had died out a bit by this point, but no better reason for Argento to try to freshen it up a bit with his unique stamp. The story's quite watchable and fun, and occasionally funny too - more in the vein of "Phenomena" than the early stuff. It's frequently ridiculous, of course, but show me a movie of his that isn't. And while there's a sex element to the film, it has a surprisingly innocent quality, perhaps because Argento was directing his own daughter in the lead. (I'm sure Freud would have a field day with it, though.)

In the end, it's hard to strongly recommend it to anyone – diehards are as likely to hate it as love it, and casual viewers are going to find his style absurd. So I'll give it a 6.5, with the simple comment that I would watch it again.