After reading about Der Todesking from a source I really
can't remember, this is the second [director]#s film that I have always wanted
to see, but could never get a hold of for a relatively small amount of money, or
in the right region setting for me. However, after waiting so long, I finally saw
it! And my god, was it a worth while wait!
Right from the get go there is blood, (literal) guts and
gore. We follow Rob Schmadtke, the lead protagonist of the film through his job
as a less than legit forensic cleaner, and how his infatuation with dead bodies
is not just from his job. After cleaning the first of the many bodies up from
public areas, Rob returns home, where we see him add some fresh body parts to
his already huge collection of dead oddities, only to find the love of his life,
Betty, come up behind him. At first we are a bit taken a back when she comes
into the picture, but after she gives him a smile and checks out the new
additions, we find out that they are both, in fact collectors together.
After a fair few beautifully cinematographed scenes of Betty
taking a blood bath, his manager moaning about him not doing the job correctly,
the slow and long scene of a rabbit being killed and skinned, and such other
story builders, we finally get to one of the most hard to watch (and that is
coming from me!) scenes of the film. After cleaning up another incident, Rob is
given the job of removing the already decomposing body from the company van
whilst the other workers head off home. But instead of bringing in the body for
examinations, decides to take this newly befriended body to meet his
girlfriend. I think you can tell how this rendezvous continues...
So after a lovely few days in utter bliss (every BODY should
enjoy pleasure, right?) the orgasmic dream for the couple are broken when the
moany manager convinces his boss to fire Rob, which means that neither will get
to enjoy the ripe organs of the job anymore. Betty leaves and takes their new acquaintance
with her, which of course leaves Rob upset. After a few lonely scenes of Rob
going to the movies alone, enjoying a bloody bath at the expense of a newly
found feline friend, and having a pill and alcohol induced undead dream about
himself, we see Rob check out the local lady prostitutes in his area.
Cliché as it is, Rob takes his paid for friend to a
graveyard (so romantik) where gives her the old, as Alex from A Clockwork
Orange would say, in out. Unfortunately, the lady of the night is not a
creature of the night, and so Rob finds it hard
to get aroused. Being the lovely, caring woman that she is, the prostitute
laughs at his misfortune and so Rob rectifies the problem by strangling her to
death... and finally finishes the job. The morning arises (hehehe) and the
graveyard caretaker appears, Rob deals with the situation, and, you guessed it,
kills again.
Now comes the best closing scene for a film that I have seen
in a very long while. As Rob gets home, we see him study a sharp and crusty old
knife that was, I presume, used to cut up the organs displayed in the copious
glass jars that adorn his display. He lays on his bed with the knife pointing
to his gut, and before penetrating himself, releases himself for the best
orgasm of his life. As he stabs himself, he orgasms, and orgasms.... and
orgasms. (Please, no notes on how this feature displays a comment on male
penetration and the homoerrotisism of men etc... that was explored long ago in
the movie when he slept with a male corpse!)
The closing scenes after the fountains of cum and blood, we
see Rob's grave in a peaceful and almost romanti(k) setting.... Which is then
broken by a ladys foot digging in a shovel. I wonder who this mystery lady is,
dundundun!
All in all, I really loved Nekromantik. It is really
refreshing to see a film that has, in my opinion, a different, yet simple story
line. The affects, considering this was a low budget film with none
entirely experienced directors and
actors (which I have no problem with at all) the effects are wonderful, and
although I am not an expert with body parts or skeletons, look really
realistic! This realism adds to the gross-out factor that the film is filled
with, which is another one of the features I am in love with.
For all you
horror/exploitation/sick bastards out there with an urge to push your boundaries,
you need to see this film sharpish! You will not regret it at all.
Until next time,
Jessiefer.
Ps: At the time of writing this, I have only seen Nekromantik once, but would like, after a few more watches, to possibly do a more psychoanalytical review on the movie. I don't know how long that will take (if I ever do it) for me to do an analysis on the film (along with a few other of Jorg Buttgereit's films), but if I ever do, there will be a link here, as well as a full post on this blog.
