The Stendhal Syndrome

The Stendhal Syndrome (Ital. La Sindrome di Stendhal) is a 1996 Italian psychological thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento and starring his daughter Asia Argento, with Thomas Kretschmann and Marco Leonardi. It was a critical and commercial success in Italy, grossing ₤5,443,000,000 Italian lira (US $3,809,977). The title refers to a psychological condition in which a subject enters a fugue state induced by the presence of art. Argento said he experienced Stendhal syndrome as a child. While touring Athens with his parents young Dario was climbing the steps of the Parthenon when he was overcome by a trance that caused him to become lost from his parents for hours. The experience was so strong that Argento never forgot it; he immediately thought of it when he