Review of Taxidermia (2006) by Caley M — 23 Jul 2007

Taxidermia will be one of those films that will confuse you. You will be confused on the parameters on why it is likable: is it because of its surprisingly insightful themes or is it because it is deviously, gloriously, deliciously disgusting? I first encountered this movie in one of Roger Ebert?s Cannes previews. He recommends it and then further states: ?Taxidermia it is an important film and certainly a brave one, but I doubt if I know anyone who would thank me for recommending it.? And the man?s got a point ? why would you send off the unwilling mainstream to a movie that reminded me of Pier Paolo Pasolini?s Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma? Wait. Do they even know who Pasolini is?

This film basically has three parts. The first one features the pathetic Morosgoványi Vendel, a houseboy whose desperation for sexual interaction has allowed him to succumb into inserting his phallus into anything with a hole, granted that is well lubricated. The movie opens with him flirting with a candle and then it further reveals his penis shooting fire ? if that does not signify how horny this guy is then I don?t know what will.

Following from that, we meet the obese Miszlényi Béla, a professional speed eater, whose sporting ability has to be seen to be believed. Basically, the sport?s basic premise is that the contestants have to eat every single morsel of food in front of them as fast as they can. With food that range from watery carrot soup to a massive block of boiled meat with fat holding it together, it is sure to induce some howls and will make everyone feel fat. Béla, a professional, suffers from personal turmoil of success and a tinge of self-righteousness; later proclaiming they named a barfing style after him (as of course, like boxing, in-between rounds the contestants have to barf to make room for some more).

Finally, we then meet the almost anorexic Lajos; the offspring of the speed eater, who we further discover has transcended from obese to uber-obese. As a taxidermist, Lajos lives as an almost altruistic son taking care of his father and his three obese show cats. Feeling lonely and unimportant, he decides to transform his body into a work of art. And yes, this too has to be seen to be believed.

As a reminder, this film is not for the squeamish. So, clearly if you take my work for it, you don?t really have to see it. But this movie has to be seen, as it is rich in imagery that may be disgusting but is telling.

With that, I?ll expand why it reminded me of Salo. Salo is considered to be one of those films that aim to disgust. It uses imagery that goes beyond the foundations of morality to truly transcend its message. The movie?s basic premise is this: to show the repulsive conditions of the unfortunate who have had suffered through the fascist era under Mussolini?s rule. Basically showing gore and shit-eating, Pasolini was able to effectively transcend the screen into his viewer?s subconscious that it was far from a pleasant time and dare I say it, knowing his version is tamed down from reality, it creates things imagination cannot muster.

This film?s definitely parallels the three circles of Salo: Morosgoványi?s sexual torment can be a parallel to the Circle of Manias? sexual intensity and its use of sex as a weapon; Béla?s speed eating pastime could be considered analogous to the Circle of Shit as it also has the general idea of ingestion of the unpleasant; and finally, the gore and general visceral corruption of Lajos? life can the equivalent to the Circle of Blood.

With those parallels, I would like to consider Taxidermia as a modernization of Pasolini?s technique. Pasolini considered fascism to be the poison of society, allowing his anguish over corrupt leadership to inspire him to create a film as repulsive as possible. In Taxidermia?s case, it is interesting on what it considers to be the new poison of society: on the simplest terms, he highlights the obesity epidemic and further expands it to man?s greed with human nature taking its tall. And personally, I liked how it also laments on the idea of loneliness through Morosgoványi?s desperate attempt to selfishly connect and Lajos? even more desperate attempt to be noticed. In an era of broadband and text messaging, and still, a movie like this lamenting on isolation, it certainly is telling.