The Human Centipede (2010)
You've all heard about it, but have any of you actually seen it? Well, in order to rattle things upa bit around this blog, I figured I would actually sit through it and see what all the fuss was about.
And.. believe it or not, I was pleasantly surprised. Was it disgusting as all hell? Sure. Was it as bad as your imagination is? No, not even close. For all the hype I expected a much much worse film. Something in similar ilk as as the Hostel or Saw movies, and their torture porn spin-offs.
What the film actually was, was a graphic throwback to a sub-set of horror, that hasn't really been explored in mainstream film for many many years. This film has more in common with the Island of Dr. Moreau than it does with Hostel. In the genre that has come to be known colloquially as "torture porn" films try to out-do deaths of hapless forgettable protagonists, and that in and of itself is the primary draw for audiences that seek to watch those films. I will go on record that I am not those audiences. I liked the first Saw for breaking the trend in horror and trying to mix things up a bit for what was essentially a independent film. The sequels and the hundreds of crap movies to follow, dropped substance of narrative for gore.
This film, reminds me of the classic horror movies, right up there with Frankenstein, or The Fly, and the aforementioned sub-genre of "mad scientist" horror. Instead of a diabolical borderline omnipotent manipulating bad guy, the mad scientist genre is driven by a genius reclusive type. Horrible, evil? Sure, but also fallible and disctinctly human. The elaborate scenario driving the plot of the film is accepted if the "mad scientist" falls within the established conventions. Was not the first visual depiction of Frankenstein's monster throwing the little girl in the lake "shocking"? Or our first time seeing the Brundlefly close to vomit inducing? Well those same experiences are evoked here as well, if only by the sheer audacity of the project this "mad scientist" (Dr. Heiter) is seeking to accomplish.
The premise (for the handful of you who really might not know) is that Dr. Heiter, a former brilliant surgeon, top in his field for surgically separating conjoined twins, seeks to create a conjoined set of 3 people, surgically rendering them co-dependent by way of derriere-to-bouche stitching.
Yep.
Does he do this for fame? Fortune? Because he is evil? Nope. He does it because it is research, and the only thing that could keep a former brilliant surgeon occupied post-retirement. Me? I'd probably choose golf, but C'est la vie.
So you have the gist of the project, what about the protagonists? Well, I will say that as actors, aspiring or otherwise, this was an incredibly brave venture to undertake. The film is easily an S&M fetishists ideal horror movie. The horror the protagonists are subjected to is more cerebral than you'd ever think for a movie like this. The humuliation, the grim realisation that there is no hope, it is tough to watch at times. It isn't graphic violence. It is just circumstantial. That being said, do we care for the protagonists? Yes and no. They are forgettable as individuals, and even trope-centric in how they find themselves in their unfortunate situation, but the fact that they are brought together, is why we care about them. They have next to no lines (for the females) and the japanese male, is sad by feeling completely alone, not knowing english or german.
The good:
Dr. Heiter is a sufficiently good vilian, a true homage to the forgotten mad scientist genre. The audacity of the project should be commended as well. Any aspiring filmmaker essentially wants their work to be known, and well... people have heard of the The Human Centipede. The ending is actually pretty dark even for a horror film like this. Too easy would it be to dismiss this film outright based on the ridiculous premise, but the fact that there is a lot going on below the surface puts points in its favor. The fact the film didn't make it about sexual exploitation either, is commendable. More than can be said for the sequel.
I also enjoyed the reality the film established. Dr. Heiter's place was sterile like a hospital, not dungeon like, or crude torture devices lying around. The lack of gore and lack of visual depictions of what you "expect" to see, also do more for the film than you'd expect.
The bad: The lead up to the Dr. Heiter. Standard horror film cliches. You'd think Germany is nothing but creepy pervs based on the lead up. I briefly tried to watch the sequel, but everything that was good about the first was absent, and it was standard torture porn fetishistic crap.
Final thoughts: Don't judge a book by it's cover. That being said, the sequel sucks. Do keep in mind though that this is a horror movie, and people are surgically joined to one another. Don't come crying to me if you watch it and lose your lunch.
Add to the vault? No, it is more of a one off. A test of endurance and a notch in your belt as a film buff. Something to talk about at parties and watch as people cringe.
