Why Dario Argento Agreed to Act in Gaspar Noe's Vortex
Argentine filmmaker Gaspar Noé's latest film Vortex is a thematic departure from his other films, and the unexpected addition of legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento in an acting role came with one strange caveat. Noé is known for being a transgressive artist, helming controversial films like Irreversible, Enter the Void, and Climax. His upcoming film Vortex revolves around an elderly couple wrestling with the crushing reality of dementia, told in an appropriately stylized split-screen presentation. The reasons behind Argento's involvement, however, are somewhat surprising.
Italian filmmaker Dario Argento is primarily known for his directorial efforts, blazing a trail in the 60s and 70s in the Giallo sub-genre of horror films. His filmography includes Deep Red, Suspiria, and Tenebrae, and he solidified his unique cinematic thumbprint with dynamic camera movements, memorable soundtracks, and copious amounts of blood and gore. Dario Argento's influential work is still inspiring filmmakers like James Wan and Edgar Wright today. However, Argento rarely acts; his credited acting roles are confined to bit parts and voiceover narration.
Related: Italian Horror Master: Dario Argento's 10 Best Movies (According To IMDb)
Argento agreed to star in Gaspar Noé's new film Vortex under one specific condition: his character needed to have a mistress on the side. In addition to casting veteran French actress Françoise Lebrun as Elle, Noé searched for the perfect candidate for Vortex's male lead Lui who was the appropriate age and capable of loosely improvising in French. When Argento expressed interest in acting under this condition, Noé had no problem reworking the character to be an Italian film critic living in France who has a
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