Quote:
Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs  The Stendhal Syndrome (1996)
It's been donkeys years since i last saw this and last night it was like i was watching a new film.
What struck me most was the idea of the Stendahl Syndrome. I'd completely forgotten the opening half hour at Florence's Uffizi Gallery and what the condition actually was and on viewing i was shocked as i experienced something similar visiting the same building.
Apologies for gabbling away about something that isn't the film itself but it was a bit revelatory seeing the same thing that happened to me happen to Asia's detective in the film. Although as it's a horror thriller Asia's symptoms were let's say, more extreme and i definitely don't recall kissing a huge fish on the mouth. |
To be honest, your recollections of having a sensory overload and how the film made you recall a long-forgotten Italian holiday and your experiences after being in the Uffizi Gallery were probably the most interesting part of your review.
I never thought of it being a real thing that would happen to holidaymakers on a regular basis, just a fabricated plot point in one of Dario Argento's lesser films. Because what you wrote, I had a quick search online and found an article in the Telegraph from 2010 and the symptoms you described experiencing so vividly are apparently regularly seen in nearby hospitals:
Quote:
Also known as Florence Syndrome, Stendhal Syndrome has been described as a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations in people who are exposed to extraordinary artistic achievement, whether it is paintings or sculptures.
Although psychiatrists have long debated whether it really exists, its effects on some sufferers are serious enough for them to require treatment in hospital and even antidepressants.
Staff at Florence's Santa Maria Nuova hospital are accustomed to dealing with tourists suffering from dizzy spells and disorientation after admiring the statue of David, the masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery and other treasures of the Tuscan city.
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...great-art.html
I'm sure I know where my Blu-ray disc is, so it's extremely likely I'll be re-watching the film this evening.
