Nekromantik

Nekromanitk Directed By Jorg Buttgereit starring Beatrice Manoski (1987 )

                  I figured the time was ripe (pun intended) to tackle the German Citizen Kane of necrophiliac love love stories; Nekromantik. Jorg Buttgereit’s claustrophobic super 8 sensory onslaught infected my brain and twisted my stomach in knots. The only time we leave the dank apartment (which has chicken wire strew along the outside of the bed) is to hit the road and let me tell you! That Autobahn can do some irreparable damage to human flesh and twisted metal, that’s why Rob the tragic necrofile has the perfect job working in a mobile mortuary deliciously named Joe’s Street Cleaning Agency. His abusive but attractive partner Betty (Beatrice M) bathes in blood like Elizabeth Bathory and is a perfect mate for a deranged creep like Rob, who has a morbid museum of grotesque artifacts in their apartment. They include jars of eyes, tongues, fetuses, hearts, etc. I mean these are the perks of working in the road accident industry and Rob certainly takes his work home with him! Jorg entices us with some kaleidoscopic, psychedelic sexual imagery and some uncompromising geek show gore (That poor turned inside out rabbit shown backward and forwards is pretty unsettling)! But dammit, it has subtext and is a well orchestrated film, the first inkling into what necrophiliacs are like (at least the subject is treated with what seems to be authentic merit, who the fuck knows)? It doesn’t matter because no one else would dare breach the subject ever again!

Equal opportunity employer of Necrophiles

                   Although there is a small demand for such a disgusting fetish, I mean just look at Girls and Corpses magazine! (which has a fun and informative interview with Jorg! link right here: G&C (NSFW)

We think you're sexier now that you've died!

                  Once you get to the inevitable threeway (which is presented as a romantic spectacle, duh hence the title!) The revolting images of a corpse with a condom over a broom handle stuck in the crotch like a simulated erection! The surprise climax of eyeball in mouth then spit back out, begs the question: does Buttgereit have experience? Because this, invented or not, it’s image stands as a testament to the only connection anyone (Jefferey Dahmer and Ed Gein not included) in civil society, has of what truly goes on in the bedroom with a real corpse humper! Plus no real authentic necrophiliacs will come out of the closet and denounce it as “Hey that’s not what goes on, I will tell you what really happens”!!! Because they would immediately be incarcerated. That’s only half of the genius behind the filmmaker’s intention! It’s also why this film is despised and on a whole nother plateau of high concept art! It’s still banned in many European countries.

Better Safe Sex than Sorry Sex

                  So what else were you afraid to ask but now after watching this film know now? How about jealousy? Betty humiliates Rob after he gets caught steeling corpses from work and fired, decides to run off with the corpse!! This causes Rob to crumple into a pile of animosity and suicidal confusion. He is devastated after his two sex partners desert him and even worse he can’t perform unless his sex partner is dead! Up until that point everything was peachy keen and they both led a stable life (Ahem… I guess)!

I'm just a Smooth Operator..

                  So like any other proud Germanic weirdo, what does he do, but wrap his pet cat in a bag and smash it against the wall and then bathe in its innards. That’s totally fine and normal, nothing strange there? That’s a perfectly sane thing to do (in Rob’s twisted world). He can’t exist without a woman, who’s willing to bump and grind on slimy dead tissue (excuse me while I go throw up). Whew, back now! And so his life devolves into shambles and he even kills a hooker, than has sex with her dead body to satisfy his necro-lust.

Puff, The Magic Hooker

                  I can’t get through this review without mentioning the steak scene! The couple hangs the rotten corpse on the wall post coitus and they wait for it to make a ghoulish A1 Steak sauce, because German necrophiliacs prefer the taste! There’s a fascinating scene at a theater that in high school (when I watched this) was really impressive; a cinema is packed with a smoking and beer swilling crowd. At the time these kinds of theaters didn’t exist, but since have sprang up everywhere, then it was only a wonderful dream. The movie the crowd watches is a rape fantasy horror slasher.

The most German photo of King Crimson available

I hope my delicious tears have improved your dining experience

                  With all the controversy attached to this film you’d think everyone involved would have been drawn and quartered, not at all. Beatrice M went onto work for highly acclaimed art house director Wim Wenders (on Wings Of Desire) and Buttgereit is still creating in various ways and directing (He even does the commentary on The Combat Shock DVD along with his pal Buddy G)! The score has this candlelight dinner piano, which intentionally clashes with the gag inducing imagery. Often as I watched this, I would replace the audio with In The Court Of The Crimson King, King Crimson’s seminal album and at times it worked on a Pink Floyd/ Wizard Of Oz level! Try it out sometime.  

                   Yes the film poses more questions then answers but I think its one of a kind and worth checking out, just to satisfy answers of questions everyone was afraid to ask! You have to see it as a gore film fan, it’s required viewing, just bring a bucket to vomit in. Bon Appetite! 

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