Review of Nekromantik (1988) by Pete W — 02 Jan 2008

In 1987 a new and groundbreaking movie was unleashed upon the unsuspecting German Public. It dealt frankly with the relationship between sex and death. The German authorities decided it was not a serious art movie but a piece of sick exploitation. It probably didnâ??t help matters that the film was not submitted to the German governing body the FSK, but simply shown in theatres to anyone over 18.The film was Nekromantik and if ever the words cult movie were used they would apply to this. Nekromantik deals with the relationship of Robert (Daktari Lorenz) a street cleaner of major accident scenes, his girlfriend Betty (Beatrice M) and the corpse Robert brings home from work. It is startlingly filmed in agonised real time with many scenes repeated in reversed flashback. This technique led to Buttgereit being described as a drugless descendant of Cocteau. The plot spirals ever downwards. Robert loses his job under suspicion after various body parts go missing. Betty loses interest in him turning her attention to the corpse. All the lovemaking scenes are filmed in a distorted slow motion that detracts the film from the realms of hardcore pornography. Robert unable to cope with rejection eventually commits suicide by stabbing himself in the stomach. A very false penis jettisoning large amounts of blood and semen.

This was a totally original idea although Nekromantik did owe a certain amount to films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deranged (both 1974). Robert and Bettyâ??s flat with its bodily decorations resembles Ed Geins/Leatherfaces house in both these films. Nekromantik was shown at the Shock Around The Clock film festival at Londonâ??s Scala cinema despite attempts of the British authorities trying to intercept it. A cult was born.