Review of Cemetery Man (1994) by Derek S — 08 Feb 2007

Michele Soavi's "Dellamorte Dellamore" (known in the U.S. as "Cemetery Man") is, all in all, a classic surrealist film that should not be missed. A sublime mixture of campy gore-comedy, dreamlike surrealism, political / social satire, and meditation on friendship, love, obsession, death, and metaphysics, this movie packs an incredible amount of layers into a beautifully stylized piece.

The power of "Dellamorte Dellamore" lies in its ambiguity; like any good surrealist piece it raises many questions and answers none, leaving the viewer to ruminate as he will. The story follows Francesco Dellamorte, a cemetery groundskeeper who must ward off "returners" (zombies) with the help of his mentally retarded aide Gnaghi, all the while dealing with ridiculous small-town politics and spiraling deeper into an obsession with an unnamed beautiful woman.

The cinematography in "Dellamorte Dellamore" is absolutely incredible; spinning shots are utilized continously to delirious effect, compositional references are made to several paintings, reflections in fountains and surrealist montages coalesce into an extraordinarily dreamlike atmosphere.

It is quite apparent that great care has been taken to illustrate all of the symbolic layers of the film on a cinematographic level as well as a narrative one. The soundtrack to the film is also quite good; though perhaps a bit stuck-in-the-'80s sounding (obviously intentionally) it is appropriate and effectively haunting.

On the whole, this film is outstanding; highly recommended for fans of surrealist pieces, zombie flicks, or for anyone who enjoys thoughtful, well-crafted films as well as a good laugh. Thank goodness Anchor Bay released this on DVD.