Abstract
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) released in 2009 and is a psychological horror movie that has its arguments written and directed by Dutch film maker, Tom Six, widely known for his outlandish and infamous storytelling. The movie emphasizes on surgical detachment, primal ownership, constraining control and solitude. The plot is illustrated in a dystopian, drab, and minimally sanitized surroundings.
The storyline is set in a remote region in Germany where a retired and former surgeon, Dr. Josef Heiter lives in a spacious and advanced bungalow in a forest surronded by dense woods. Dr. Heiter was specialized in intricate medical surgical procedures but is now living in retired. Focused on his personal experiments out of mere wretched curiosity, he remains completely and wilfully isolated which reflects on his social and emotional disconnection.
The movie features two American tourists named Lindsay and Jenny, who are on a trip to Europe. One night, their vehicle has a malfunction in a secluded area and as a result they set out on a quest to find help. During this search, they stumble upon the house of Dr. Heiter who gladly takes them in and offers them shelter. During the first interaction, he seems to be very polite and has a very quiet demeanor but as time passes, he becomes very detached and seems to have a more clinical approach.Later there arrives a traveler from Japan named Katsuro, who also ends up at the doctor’s place. From the events that take place, it is evident that the doctor’s actions are connected to some personal undertaking, one that involves an elaborate obsession of assembling something entirely new from human parts. The film symbolically embodies this notion instead of graphically representing it, wherein most of the tension is derived from suggestion, tone, and setting.
Dr. Heiter’s residence in which most of the film is set in, is a spacious room with white walls, windows, and polished flooring. The room’s setting most definitely adds to the film’s atmosphere which is also described as cold, organized, and emotionless. Heiter’s residence does in fact reside in certain parts of the world, which provides a cold, sophisticated aura to the entire scene. There is very little music during the scenes, which is certainly intentional, as the silence does a better job capturing the uncertainty and discomfort of the scenes.
The film does not accordingly concentrate on the action and the thrill, rather it centers around an emotional, slow-building psychological tension throughout the film. The story does strive to lead the viewers to contemplate personal identity, and dignity, while pondering about the most extreme and curious possibilities in life. From the extreme feelings of fear, strength, and resilience, all three are shown to reveal various facets of the human spirit on such extreme conditions.
Dr. Heiter is the main character whom the author attains a purely analytical approach in the perception of life. His relationships with people are transactional and lack emotional connections. This disassociation creates troubling dilemmas: What is the consequence of disassociating science from morals? What is the consequence of disassociating an individual from society? What is the consequence of disassociating compassion from control?
He whole the film drags on, the emotional poignancy starts becoming acute. Though the narrative revolves around an odd and disturbing premise, the underlying note of the film brings fort the issues of human resilience, the feeling of remorse, and self contemplation. The film does not end with action, but with calmness, with the purpose of allowing the spectators the time to introspect on the objectives of the characters’ course.
Cast and Crew
Dieter Laser as Dr. Josef Heiter.
Dieter Laser as a slave delivers a very controlled and buffered performance indeed. He exhibits a quiet and calm portrayal, and suggests a character operating on a logical rather than emotional bottlenose. The phlegmatic and biomedical aspect of him enhances the psychological intensity of the narrative.
Ashley C. Williams as Lindsay.
Ashley C. Williams brings fort a more emotional more vigorous performance as Lindsay. From the very opening, Lindsay is the more calmer of the characters and tries to understand the circumstance she is in.
Ashlynn Yennie as Jenny
Jenny adds emotional weight and softness to the film. She and Lindsay form a pair that fosters a sense of muted companionship and unexploited power.
Katsuro gives the story a complete view and adds to its emotional equilibrium. Frustration, courage, and self-awareness as part of his performance adds to the attainment of emotional closure, which is key in his role.
Director & Writer: Tom Six
The cold clinical construction, seamlessly intertwined with symbolic elements, gives Tom Six his distinct voice. Unlike his other works, with this film, he aims to venture uninhabited territories that focus on overreaching ambition, devoid of any moral principles. He is a master of literally building tension through the use of stillness, silence, and a painstakingly slow pace.
Cinematography: Goof de Koning
The emotional disconnection of the film is accentuated through the clean, wide, and often distant camera work. Isolation, order, and detachment are further enhanced through the use of color and composition.
Music: Patrick Savage and Holeg Spies
The film is punctuated with music, although it complements the on-screen action instead of driving it. Gentle, subtle tones that punctuate the film stem the sense of dramatic emotional silence and are more effective than loud, vigorous scores.
“IMDb Ratings and Audience Response”
Globally, The Human Centipede (First Sequence) has an IMDb score of 4.4 out of 10 which in itself is quite modest, although it does offer insight into how the movie is interpreted. The score is based on audience ratings and reviews from around the world.
Positive Reception:
People that appreciate symbolic or experimental art often defended this movie due to its psychological originality. It has been claimed that Dieter Laser’s performance is one of the most focused and disciplined masterclasses in execution to date.
Because of its articulate metaphorical overtones and artistic restraint, it is one of the most certifiably available case studies in academia and respective film schools.
Mixed Opinions:
Some viewers, whilst the film itself is not graphic in nature, certainly videos do exist that are deemed as disgusting, both described the film as unsettling. Other’s minimalist approach was to an extent praised, as it, in their opinion, relied primarily on emotional discomfort rather than dramatic content.
The film, in all of the above averaged theories, certainly provoked enough discussion on ethics, control, science, and most importantly what it means to be human. Irrespective of the underlying discourse, it’s safe to conclude that the film has certainly been popularized in both the independent film industry, as well as pop culture.
Conclusion:
As unconventional films go, The Human Centipede (First Sequence) stands out as one of the most certifiably available experiments in modern day cinema. It uses theatrical silence, the tone of voice, and the geography of character placement in the film to create psychological disgust as opposed to offensive and graphic content set out to shock the audience.
The innovative concept of the film is an interesting one, but it is the latter deviating almost entirely from the film´s premise, yet is the reason the film is so compelling. It grapples with matters of great concern regarding the limits of science, the stretching of responsibility, and ultimately, huiman civilization’s morality. Its tempo is slow, and the deign is remote and apathy. It even borders on monotonousness and while it may at first glance seem baffling or silly, to the cinephilia it is an extremely rare gem worthy of exploration.
The film examines it’s premise not in the sunlight of outside events but in the shadow of introspection regarding the consequences of emotional isolation, volition failure and the utter lack of compassion in one’s deeds. The disconnect is at once soothing and bracing in it’s philosophical undertones. The film lingers long after the credits roll, but not in the sense of the visuals it chooses to present, it is for the perceptions it ignites in the lines of the audience.
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