I never actually planned to watch this film: I heard so much about it through various reviews and friends that I decided there was no point. But, ultimately, curiosity won out and I sat down with a group of friends to review what is one of the most talked about films of the year.
For those of you that really don't know, The Human Centipede tells the story of two American girls (Ashley C. Williams and Ashlynn Yennie) on a eurotrip who find themselves stranded in the middle of Germany at some creepy guy's house when their car breaks down. They are drugged and awake on a make-shift hospital room in the man's basement, who happened to be Germany's most skilled surgeon (he is Dr. Heiter, played effectively creepy by Dieter Laser). They learn they are to be joined, ass-to-mouth, with another man (a Japanese guy played by Akihiro Kitamaru) to create a human centipede. Why? Who knows, but let's just say you don't want to be stuck in the middle.
When I went into this film, I was expecting to be completely grossed out, revolted, and slightly shaken by the movie. And you know what? I wasn't. True, the film displays some horrific acts against humanity, and the sheer depravity of the whole idea makes one sick, but the film achieves this through what most will agree is very little violence. That's not to say what happens isn't sick; the good doctor makes the human centipede a sort of pet, and the graphic nature of the attachment is gross. But there are no ruthless beheadings, or endless torture scenes. Once you get over the idea of the human centipede, it becomes easy to swallow.
Speaking of swallowing, the films most sickening sequence involves one member of the centipede swallowing excrement (with the good doctor yelling, "Swallow it, bitch!"). Yet this scene is achieved by the actors performance, not by actually watching someone swallow make-shift poo.
The movie frustrates, however, as characters make key idiotic decisions where, if they had made a different decision, they might have gotten out of the situation. Por example: one of the girls actually frees herself and the good doctor goes to attend to a power surge issue. But instead of running away, she rescues her unconscious friend and drags her out of the house (I should also mention she is bleeding profusely from a recent injury). Once, out the door, though, the good doctor finally shows up and tranquilizes her (and decides to make her the middle piece).
Now, on the one hand Tom Six, the writer and director, is most likely just making a commentary on most horror films, where characters make incorrect key decisions. That's all fun and good, but the Scream films have already made this pitfall of horror very well known, and so these character decisions come off as lazy writing.
Overall, I wasn't moved by the film either way. I actually forgot about it and have only just now returned to pondering it. It's technically well made, and there's no doubt the Human Centipede will become an iconic monster, at least for the midnight crowd. But I dislike these movies so much because I don't see the point in their existence. Who honestly finds this entertaining? Who will actually admit to looking forward to films like these? I don't want to know you. There are people who like the gross out stuff, and we all know this isn't real. But honestly, what's the point?
On one final note, Tom Six is making a sequel that is due out at some point this year. You'll notice the secondary title is "First Sequence." The next one is the "Full Sequence," and I guess we are going to get a 12-person centipede. There's already an amusing teaser online in which Six speculates about all the hate he's gotten from people calling it the most disgusting film ever made. Well that's giving this film too much credit.
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