In Argento's original, the dance school seemed almost like a random setting, nothing more than a place to provide Argento with interesting visuals and, uh, leotards. In Guadagnino's remake, dancing became the central method by which witches were witches. In the most memorable scene of the moviethe Swinton character pinches Susie's arms and legs, casting some kind of charm on her body. When Susie begins to dance, a woman on the floor below her is terrifyingly and supernaturally puppeteered by her movements. The victim's body, unprepared for the dance, contorts, twists, breaks and bursts. It is a painful, horrible way to die, killed by the terpsichorean muse. Suddenly, it makes sense why witches would run a ballet academy. Dancing is the best way to evoke demonic power. The dancing becomes pagan, menacing and terrifying.

In a new twist, Guadangino's Suspiria follows a character named Dr. Josef Klemperer (Lutz Ebersdorff, actually Tilda Swinton again), the psychologist of Sara (Mia Gott), a fellow dancer at the Academy. Sarah tells Dr. Klemperer that her school is controlled by witches, inspiring him to investigate any abuse. Dr. Klemperer uncovers the full identity of Coven, but actually finds something more personally relevant: the fate of his wife, who died in the Holocaust. He is also a survivor and is plagued by survivor's guilt, feeling that he did not do enough to stem the tide of fascism. This is symbolic of Germany's constant reckoning with its military past, and how it directly relates to the 1977 riots. Not to mention, the current unrest seems to be allowing evil to re-grow right under the noses of German citizens.

Evil, says the new Suspiria, is an active choice, and we can fight it or be drawn into its grotesquery. We can get power but it is useless unless we use it properly. And that's what the new Suspiria really examines: the use and abuse of political power. It can be used for good evil, or a mixture of both, but when misused it leaves cultural scars.