AUNT MARIA / SUSPIRIA

WITCHES AND WOMEN IN GENRE

Aunt Maria by Diana Wynne Jones is not a typical story about stereotype witches.  Aunt Maria is a sweet, helpless little old lady who likes to talk a lot or so you think as the story begins.  Within her sweetness on the outside, she is an evil witch on the inside.  She has the power of manipulation by appearing to be helpless in her old and crippled age while making everyone feel guilty so that they do as she wishes.  The town of Cranbury-on-Sea, where Aunt Maria lives, is ruled with an iron-hand by Aunt Maria.  She controls all the women, men, and children.  Aunt Maria's power borders more from phycology than direct magic or potions.  Although, she does have the power to cast spells.

Aunt Maria and the women of the town are the only residents with any will of their own.  Their husbands and sons are like zombies and all the children are locked away in an orphanage.  Mig, Chris, and Mom go to take care of poor old Aunt Maria and get pulled into Aunt Maria's emotional manipulation.  Mig is cautious with Aunt Maria, but when Chris rebels, he is changed into a wolf.  Aunt Maria proves that she is at the center of the magic.  A ghost haunts the downstairs bedroom at night and a cat stalks around outside which looks very much like a servant that had been employed by Aunt Maria.  Mig now realizes the situation and is determined to get her brother back and save the town from dear, sweet Aunt Maria.

In conclusion, this book examines the workings of families, family roles, obligations, and the relationship between sexes.  It combines eccentric characters, morals, magic, time traveling, the ability to portray human behavior and the bond between siblings.  Aunt Maria is one of the most hateful and hateable villains.  She is a witch in the archetypes sense.  Every witch in Cranbury-on-Sea had their own aims, views on the gender war and personality.  Aunt Maria talks until her ideas are implanted into someone's head making the victim think she's right.  Aunt Maria is a typical woman with power.  Our culture makes our strong women to be overpowering and domineering.  Aunt Maria fits this description.  One thing that I took away from this story is not to judge a book by its cover or what a person appears to be on the outside is not always what they are on the inside.

Movie:  SUSPIRIA (1977)

This week's movie, Suspiria by Dario Argento, really had me on the edge of my seat.  The movie starts with a young American dancer traveling to Europe to attend a famous ballet school.  This movie has many chilling and gory scenes which start with the taxicab ride.  A flash of lightning reveals a shadowy image of a knife reflected on a tree stump.  A superimposition screaming of a face is reflected on the cab's security divider and this is just the start.  Suzy arrives in Germany only to find that she has entered a witches' coven.

Suspiria is a film where intense colors, mental states, and discordant music blend together into a dream like horror film.  It is strange and unpredictable.  The idea of a palette rich with primary hues and deep blacks was inspired by the Technicolor of Walt Disney's Snow White.  Yet, an abstract daemonic presence haunts this film.  A coven of witches summon an entity beyond their power to control.  I found it strange that Suzy never seems horrified at what goes on around her.  She seems to take it all in visually, but her curiosity seems to come through much stronger than anxiety or fear.  In conclusion, this movie is a fairy-tale of the supernatural with a mixture of childlike wonder and very much adult horror.  If you have a weak stomach and scare easy, I do not suggest this movie.