J-Film #11- 'Pathology'

Today I would like to start by letting you know that this film was fucking hard to get into (for good reason, see further down). My film session began with me entering the rather large and glassy lobby of Stevange Cineworld, as you could probably expect. This went swimmingly: I didn't get hit by any irate cinema-goer unfortunate enough to actually buy a ticket to 'Meet the Spartans' or trip over the door frame like a flid (why that isn't in the dictionary I really don't know). The problem arose when I met with the ticket geezer (for want of a nicer term) who, rather rudely I thought, asked my age.

I said I was 18, but had left my ID at home, and all I had to show was my HAND card (Harts Additional Need Database). He then asked me my birthday. "Simple" you all unanimously breathe in smug tones, but unfortunately I am horrible at mental arithmetic. Basically, I cannot subtract 18 from 2008 without looking retarded. "Wait!" I thought to myself. "I have handed him my retard card, I am meant to look like a retard." Thus, in a flash of mental prowess, I told him "I don't remember", whereupon I fidgeted for a bit. That my dear friends and disciples, is how I single-handedly made not just the entire queue for the ticket booth, but also the ticket geezer, very uncomfortable, and gained access to a truly epic film.

On with the film then. Well first of all, its more of an 18 than 'Rambo'; hell, its more of an 18 than 'Homicide 4: The Barbed Dildo Chronicles' (Dildo isn't in the dictionary -.- BOBLIKE). It involves a lot of consequence free murder, a lot of sickening body parts, rib crackers and a sick game played by psychopaths, whereupon one of the circle kills someone in an odd way, and the others have to use their pathological (have a clap for guessing pathology was involved) skill to work out how exactly they did it. Well, no; it doesn't sound too dark, but its complete moral ambiguity is deeply disturbing, as are its oddly deep subtexts and comments on society and the modern world and how it doesn't fulfill itself. However, this is an artfully (read: poncy) unfulfilled film, and even though I saw it yesterday afternoon, I am still deeply disturbed by the whole thing.

With that out of the way it may be time to focus on the more technical aspects of the film. I think I'll start with the sound track. AllI know is that it's either average, poor, or non-existent. That's right, I don't remember it at all; this could be from the soundtrack being the aforementioned things, or it could be a mix of that and my tainted love for the film. Moving in a deliberate, logical fashion it may be time to judge the shooting quality of the film, and guess what? I don't care if it isn't, because I'm going to do it anyway. The film uses largely defined film principles, uses all the rules, except that of the growing trend of no establishing shot, which could probably be considered a rule now anyway. The rule of thirds, etc. etc. is all there, but at the same time that takes up all the room leaving a lot of arty shots unattended, and leaving the hotel without paying.

Finally, I am going to dedicate a whole paragraph to the effects. In short, they are brilliantly gory, artful and dark which makes a complete and brilliant poncy infusion, which compliments the film's storyline. In long, the lighting on all the gore, especially towards the beginning (artfully getting darker towards the end, as do the shots themselves, although, as I have previously mentioned, the shots considered in a technical sense are nothing special) makes it seem unreal, seemingly ineffective, but very strangely it seems to make it very disturbing, creating a world that could perhaps be described as "through the psychopath's eyes" which indeed makes he aforementioned darkening of the scenes and the gore border upon even more planes of understanding and sense, as the characters degrade even further. Need a break? Don't worry: that's the end of the issue.

Next issue...actually, you know what? I'll surprise you. J-film quiz on Monday, if you want an invite to the steam group contact me.

Rundown -

Shooting: 6

Characterisation: 9

Soundtrack: 5

Plot: 9

Effects: 9

Variable field dependent on context and genre - moral ambiguity: 9

Overall J-score: 9/10

If there is anything you would like little Johnny to know do not hesitate to email me at Johnny.neicho@sky.com (For God's sake, just e-mail me some granny porn or something)