The Human centipede is a very difficult film to categorise within the thriller genre. This is because the film is a psychological thriller in one sense as everything within the film is done by humans therefore it leaves the audience feeling fearful that something like this could actually happen. However, due to the science involved it could be a scientific thriller, in particular a biological thriller.
The film is based around two young American girls who are exploring Germany and set off to drive to a local night club. They take a wrong turn on the way, before their car breaks down in a large woods. They refuse a lift from a dangerous looking lorry driver and when he has long passed begin walking, in the rain, looking for refuge. They come across a large looking house and knock on the door. This house is owned by Dr.Heiter, a known doctor for separating conjoined twins. The doctor pretends he is phoning help for them, but really poisons a glass of water. The girls drink the water which they pass out after drinking.
When they wake up they are in the basement of Heiters house, which has been set up to look like a medical ward with three beds. They try to escape however can not as they are strapped down. Heiter comes down and speaks to a previously caught lorry driver and explains how he is 'not a match' before killing him in front of the girls.
The next time the girls awake there is someone knew in the other bed. This time a Japanese tourist. The doctor explains to them what he is known for and then explains how he wants to surgically connect people to make them share the same digestive system. He explains how he has already done this to dogs, connecting them mouth-to-anus. One of the girls, Lindsay tries to escape and after a long chase round the house where she attempts her escape he captures her and begins his surgery, placing her in the middle for her 'punishment'.
During the surgery the victims knees are altered so that they walk on their hands and knees from now on. There mouths are then stitched to the anus' of the other patients and skin is altered to allow this to happen. The Japanese tourist is the front of the 'centipide' with Lindsay in the middle and Jenny at the back.
Throughout the film police detectives arrive to search the house for the missing tourists. Heiter wishes to use them to replace Jenny at the back as he realises she is dying from blood poisoning, however the detectives do not drink the drugged drink he offers them and leave to obtain a search warrant.
Upon their arrival back they try to conduct a secret search, while this goes on the victims try to make an escape. However, this takes time as they struggle to get anywhere, especially up the stairs being conjoined. The detectives split up and one goes to the pool room where he finds Heiter and is shot. Hearing the gun shot the other detective rushes there and finds his colleague dead in the pool. Heiter comes out of hiding and shoots him in the stomach, to which he responds by shooting him in the head before dying.
Back with the victims, now everyone else is dead, the Japanese tourist at the front claims this is his fate and he deserves this for treating his family badly. He then uses broken glass to slit his own throat. The girls, unable to move, hold hands while Jenny does die of blood poisoning and Lindsay is then left in the middle, unable to do anything.
In my opinion, this film does deserve the 18 rating it received as there are very graphic images shown, especially of blood and when the victims are being fed and having to wait for the food to pass through all of them. I do not think these images are anything anyone under 18 should have a choice to see.
This is not a film I personally enjoyed and it is not something I would have wanted to watch myself as I do not like the idea as a whole or the images I saw. I also do not watch many films of this genre and therefore that is another reason I would not have set out to watch this film.
This film also goes against some conventions of the thriller genre, for example low key lighting is not often used, and the house itself uses quite bright lighting and all the walls are white reflecting this further.
However there is a main antagonist used which is a key convention of thrillers and there is lots of fast paced editing, especially during the scenes where there are chase scenes.
No comments:
Post a Comment