Review of The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009) by Directors C — 31 Mar 2012

This is a stunning work of art. Never have I had such a wonderful, uplifting, breathtaking experience at the movies. The film's writer-director, Tom Six, leaps directly to the forefront of world cinema with this masterpiece. Years from now, when people list the great geniuses of film, they will name Griffith, Chaplin, Keaton, Welles, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Kurosawa, Fellini, Bergman, and Tom Six.

The story, adapted from the novel by Henry James, follows the life lessons learned by two young American girls travelling in Europe, where they encounter a handsome and mysterious but brooding surgeon. The deep conversations and meditations on love, art, and philosophy that ensue are stunning.

Tom Six demonstrates that he is a master of subtlety and restraint with his impeccably tasteful direction. The soundtrack by John Williams adds almost unfathomable layers of deep emotion to the already incredibly involving and poignant scenes. Henry James would be so proud of the sensitive and literate work Six put into adapting the screenplay from his novel. This is truly cinema at its finest and most artistic.