How far up the yikes-meter does this go?

Well, I just watched this film and thought it was pretty good. Unfortunately, it was the dubbed version but I still enjoyed it. I agree there were some disturbing scenes. Overall, it was quite surprising and I would rank this pretty high.

Stendal is a very good thriller.Brutal and Bloody? Yes indeed.

The rapes were like someone said cold,and ugly.Hard to watch.Portrayed as they should be.Not like in some crappy porno-film fantasy.

The scene where alfredo shoots the hole through his victim's face(while still raping her),peeks at anna through the now-gaping hole in the victims face.Thats was some crazy s h i t.

The scene with the fish is bizzare as they come.

The scene where she dry-screws her over-eager boy friend Marco from behind.

The mutilation scenes.

The Psycyatrist's brains blown out all over the wall.

Alfredo's death scene.

This is right up there with the most gruesome of them.

Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.

To answer the original question, I think this goes very high up the yikes-meter. Its just so psychologically intense. I had a knot in my stomach and my heart was racing when the film ended. And that wasn’t just down to the horrible rape scenes. There’s something about this film. It keys into a certain feeling. Something about the extremes of experience, of being alive.

I also reckon its Argento’s best film. It doesn’t have the razzle-dazzle of his earlier work but its got something else instead. I can’t for the life of me understand why people find it boring. Its one of the most amazing dark films ever. Its just unblinking. I’ll never forget the first time I saw it. The experience was a bit like the Stendhal Syndrome itself. I felt dizzy.

"this is not by any means an easy film to watch. Anyone who has seen the film will know what I mean."

I hear (read) that! The rapist in this movie gives the guys from 'I Spit On Your Grave' a run for their money! He's so gleefully sadistic that he actually made me feel a bit ill.

Gotta hand it to Argento, he can create one hell of a villain.

I would place it up high based on the psychological intensity, which I felt to be realistic. Still though, the rape scene from Irreversible is the only scene I have ever needed to take a break from - no other movie I have seen has been that intense to me (probably because it took like 10 minutes. Even the lady's husband, in real life, started crying at the premier)

I enjoyed the film but it didn't really make me feel disturbed or bothered at all in any way. The first rape scene may have come close - as it was extremely well done, and effective - but I just watched A SERBIAN FILM a few nights ago and nothing in the world matches that... so, this was like playing at the park with children in comparison.

The fish scene was my favorite in the whole movie though. Amazing.

the soundtrac serves a lot to that, , puts you in that eerie mood, feeñomg there´s something happening