Carnages DVD Review:

Carnages is an eccentric, dark tale following the remains of a bull who is killed having goaded and defeated a young Matador; subsequently carved-up, the Bull’s remains are sent across Europe, coming into contact with several unusual groups of people. Each group are ultimately linked together, and we watch their lives unfold, the Bulls mystical remains always dictating what is happening.

The characters are all very much bizarre: They include a death-obsessed, Valium-popping, five-year-old; A suicidal philosopher; A recluse taxidermist, who shares a caravan and bed with his aging mother; and an amnesiac teacher … to name but a few.

This film is particularly dark and moody. It’s also very quiet, moments of music a rarity and always coming in the diagetic form, no over-imposing added score required to create tension, the atmosphere being created through expert cinematography and slow editing; wide shots and long takes are plentiful, and the placing of characters (often at each end of the screen) really pushes the message of one of the key themes, loneliness, a thing shared by all the main protagonists. Maybe this is due to each one being such an individual?

There is no central figure in this story, it is divided between several characters, or rather groups of characters who are joined together through some form of intimate relationship. Despite their being no central focus of the film the director, Gleize, manages to divide the story up enough, and give enough subtle background information to develop the characters substantially into a group we want to know more about, and ultimately when the film ends we are curious as to where their paths continued.

In recent screen endeavours it appears a trend to under-develop characters, directors choosing to instead concentrate on satisfying the superficial visual needs of the audience, making the experience ultimately unfulfilling, something designed only to gratify rather than challenge, inspire and educate. This film does not suffer from this, it is a challenge, and it is enjoyable.

Thematically the film is something of a gem, there are many themes and issues looked at in this film, it is a theorists dream. The themes are, on the whole, a little darker than the mainstream. We have issues such as death and the family unit, most notably the role of the ‘mother’, which is looked at from various angles; offering a suggestion as to what Gleize was saying would be difficult, the audience should decrypt their own meanings, something that a good film will allow the audience to do.

The Matador link and concept of a Bull having mystical powers seems a somewhat weak idea, but this is perhaps the only weakness in this great film. The cinematography and portrayal of the major protagonists is done in an expert and knowing way; I like the fact that each one is a kook, it engages the audience much more than a stereotypical character. Go on watch this film, it is definitely worth it for anyone who is into stylish indie-type films.



Chris Horsman