Let the Corpses Tan (Cattet and Forzani)

[horroru]

This was my first foray into the directing world of Cattet and Forzani:
Let the Corpses Tan


It was quite a visual and aural experience - from what little I'd read I did know going in that this directing duo were on the experimental/arthouse side, and it clearly shows in this film - this is certainly NOT a film for everyone.

I think the Press Release sums up what plot there is:
"After stealing a truckload of gold bars, a gang of thieves absconds to the ruins of a remote village perched on the cliffs of the Mediterranean. Home to a reclusive yet hypersexual artist and her motley crew of family and admirers, it seems like a perfect hideout. But when two cops roll up on motorcycles to investigate, the hamlet erupts into a hallucinatory battlefield as both sides engage in an all-day, all-night firefight rife with double-crosses and dripping with blood."

Cattet and Forzani aren't obsessed with plot as much as they are with the video/audio side of things. I personally loved how they displayed the time on the screen, sometimes jumping back and forth in time, as well as adding in flashbacks/memories from some of the characters - but I can certainly see people hating it and finding it annoying. For me it kept my brain working to tie all the visuals together, to stitch together a story.

It's a loving homage to spaghetti westerns/crime films, and yet IMHO they've created something unique here; it's filmed in a way that only these two directors could produce. I was listening to the commentary (which I found very entertaining), and they mentioned that the directors approach their films as interpretive art. If 10 different people watch this film and come out with 10 different interpretations of the visuals/plot, then that's great; like a painting, some may see different connections in form, some may be moved emotionally in various ways, and all are valid. It's bold if anything, and is unlike anything I've seen recently - has a touch of David Lynch but it's not aping his style, it feels unique to me.

Having said all that, some may be moved to turn this film OFF - it's not a mainstream film by any means, nor is it a Tarantino snappy dialogue/over the top violence fest. Oh it is over the top, but more in an arthouse way (and I don't want to overuse that term but it's how I feel). They linger on visuals, they overemphasize certain sounds (gun blasts and squeaking leather) and this will certainly drive anyone looking for a mainstream film out of their mind. The pace of the film is bizarre, and they don't spoon feed the viewer a thing. But again as I knew this film was an art piece, I just let the visuals wash over me and tell me the story, even if it didn't fill in every little detail - I actually enjoyed piecing plot points together even if the movie doesn't give you a full explanation. In my mind there is one character in the whole movie who is the key to all the actions that go on, but I won't reveal who because, well, it's my interpretation....yours may differ.

Highly recommended for fans of Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch, Dario Argento, Takashi Miike - keeping in mind Cattet and Forzani have their own unique style, while it seems being influenced by that group. If you don't like that list of directors keep far away from this film!
(also it obviously contains gruesome violence and even some taboo sexual situations)
Also for any movie fan who wants to stretch their film palette, wants to open their mind and take an adventurous trip - hell I like mainstream movies as much as everyone on here, but it was great to just let my senses be taken over by this film and just let it take me where it takes me.

Edit: Forgot to mention the film features music by Ennio Morricone, which gives much flavor to the dusty atmosphere.

If you've read this far thanks for reading, I'm certainly NOT "The Great Owl" but he inspired me to get off my rear and write up something that got me enthusiastic about how experimental the art of filmmaking can be.