Beneath the visuals and suspense, this movie is ultimately psychological. If Tom Six, by way of keeping this movie under two hours, manages to lose some people's attention span or over-saturate the viewers with shock, it's because he didn't make the invitation to his mindset alluring enough. But this movie is an invitation nonetheless, and he would probably prefer we stay much longer.
It's too easy to get lost in the knee-jerk reaction of how this movie must eventually play out, but I find myself moving past that and trying to put myself into their shoes (all three pairs.) I first say that there wasn't any hate on the dear doctor's part. Something incredibly wrong, yes, but there was no hate. He punished the centipede, and disciplined them--but taking out the aspect of hate or mindless brutality or torture we would expect from someone twisted, we as the viewers are left with not much to base our discomfort with this movie. Which ultimately adds very subtly, a dangerously disturbing feeling: Where does one channel the mental fallout while watching this movie?
The doctor even takes on a jovial mode as he tries to motivate them to walk in unison, definitely not someone who "hates people" like he states in the beginning. He approaches the segments with care enough to heal them, and not leave them "neglected", a good owner. He even buried the previous attempt, his "sweet three-dog" and left a pretty expensive headstone! Like I said, not hateful in the least.
What I found myself thinking about is how the director's use of madness has a way of drowning out the things the centipede doesn't need, so there is some clarity given to them. The madness reveals their basic needs. B-segment will give up anything to not be put through that ordeal (not said explicitly, but other things suddenly not as valuable, i.e. money.) C-segment wants her mom. A-segment confesses his sub-par life and wants to be human again. All noble things when done voluntarily. When done under madness of becoming the centipede, I think the realization of what we really need just hits home for them, to the fact that A-segment feels that the only way to left for him to feel human, is to die.
It disturbs me that I can't find any hate for this doctor. And it's scary to be invited to Tom Six's head, wondering what this movie may have demanded of him to create. I say we can always decline the invite to delve deeper into that thought process, but it would be wrong to label this movie as his gratuitous way to live out this weird fantasy. That maybe the doctor's agenda, but not the director's. Definitely worth a second look.
P.S. If you don't like my review, watch it for the sake of seeing how this unravels. You know you want to!
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