A cello case becomes an instrument of terror for a photographer convinced he murdered his cheating wife. Chinese film star Ge You (Butterfly Smile) is the schizophrenic haunted by the case,...
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Title: Suffocation (2005)
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1 nomination.
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A cello case becomes an instrument of terror for a photographer convinced he murdered his cheating wife. Chinese film star Ge You (Butterfly Smile) is the schizophrenic haunted by the case, which he may have used to dispose of his wife's corpse. The lines between the subconscious and conscious, the dead and the living, horrifically blur in this intense, atmospheric psychological thriller. Drenched with suspense and black humor, SUFFOCATION's twisted nightmare journey through the emotional strangulation of madness will make you gasp! Written by Anonymous
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Lyrics by Grigor Narekatsi (as Gregor Narekatsi)
Music by Alfred Schnittke (as Alfred Schnittke)
Performed by the State Chamber Choir of the U.S.S.R.
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Crazy Credits
Title card before start of film: "The human conscious mind is like the part of the iceberg above the sea, while the subconscious is like the body of the iceberg underneath." - Sigmund Freud See more »Soundtracks
Konzert fuer Gemischten ChorLyrics by Grigor Narekatsi (as Gregor Narekatsi)
Music by Alfred Schnittke (as Alfred Schnittke)
Performed by the State Chamber Choir of the U.S.S.R.
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There are at least a few moments in "Suffocation" at which I literally jumped in my chair. Unfortunately, these were all related to the soundtrack, which can be quite jarring. In fact, I stopped the DVD twice simply to back up and see why the musical director had inserted a particularly loud chord at those spots. In both cases, it was apparently just an effort to generate tension, as nothing much was actually happening on-screen.
The cinematography is not bad and the ghost/non-ghost is done fairly well, but the overall effect is more stylish than scary. The underwater scenes, for example, look like they were shot in a pool (which they undoubtedly were) and a lot of the night scenes are too cleverly lit for their own good. The film is also poorly-paced, with no sense of momentum.
Overall, this is a fairly creepy film, but it's not what many audiences expect when they hear "psychological horror." I recommend this movie only for those viewers who are interested in seeing something a little bit different and who feel comfortable watching flawed films for the sake of what might have been.