Anatomia

I was very curious about Anatomy (aka Anatomie) and if I was going to see it, I was going to have to buy it since no video stores in my area carried the film. Since it was not a low-priced DVD, I did take a chance and thought I'd take a peek at other comments on IMDb. Many of the comments didn't give me enough hope of forking out lots of bucks for a film I had never seen nor had any clues about. I basically got the idea it was a sexy youth-oriented romp being compared to many cookie-cutter teen thrillers. Well, something in the back of my mind told me to ignore those types of comments and buy it! I did, and was I pleasantly surprised!

If it is going to be compared to any other films, I would say it's a variation of Coma and Extreme Measures. I couldn't see any comparison to films like Scream, Urban Legends, et al. Yes, the cast is young (that's because they're med students! At least they aren't the increasingly boring high school type characters), and yes, some are lusty (basically the character played by Anna Loos is, and it is handled quite tastefully in the German language version), but Anatomy is well constructed, there is a tense mood throughout, the sets are amazing, the makeup effects are a wow, and Franka Potente is very credible in her role. I found myself enjoying all of it despite a few gaping holes in the plot! The story of a student discovering a sort-of secret society doing autopsies on still-living patients is a rather creepy scenario and what happens to those patients afterwards is quite clever. Sure, you could ask why didn't she just GET OUT OF THAT TOWN? Okay, but then the film would be over within a half hour.

This was the first effort from the German part of Columbia Pictures, and it's actually quite an impressive one. There was a bit of care in the production and to actually offer some genuine thrills is an accomplishment. It is a bit mature in mind, as it doesn't resort to constant opportunities for sexual encounters(a breast fest) or juvenile drug jokes. Anna Loos' character, while often making sexual remarks and looking for some fun, was actually a nice touch--having a character that was a woman more intelligent than any of the men in the school. She found that sex was really just a distraction for her and the men rather lacking.

THE IMPORTANT STUFF: Watching this film in the original German language with English or French subtitles is the BEST way to enjoy it. I saw the theatrical trailers dubbed in English and was disgusted by the change it made in the film's tone. I have never seen a properly dubbed film in my life--they never can find voices that suit the film's actors or characters. Sure enough, I tried to watch some of Anatomy dubbed in English and the intelligence level of it dropped severely, making it seem more like a comedy. A good example is when one guy was freaked out at being cut open and screamed to be sewn back up--hearing it in German he sounded frantic, but dubbed in English he sounded like a comedian. Frankly, I'm sick of hearing people say they can't handle reading subtitles or watch a "letterboxed" film. Anatomy comes off as silly with dubbed voices that seem octaves too high for any of the people you see in the film, and Anna Loos' sexual comments then just sound like awful remarks right out of Fast Times At Ridgemont High. I wonder if the negative comments about Anatomy are from people who watched it dubbed, it just doesn't seem like the same film at all! This is not a cheap horror film and deserves to be viewed as it was created. Interesting to note that some of the English subtitles are different in scenes in the feature and the "making of" supplement.

As it turns out, I gambled and won with Anatomy. It's a competent thriller with likeable characters and doesn't try to go for cheap thrills.

"Anatomie" is an OK movie if you have nothing better to do, but it promises a lot more than it delivers. It follows Paula, a brilliant student of anatomy and granddaughter of a famous doctor, at her new, elitist school. The gloomy atmosphere at the school is well made, and the sequence that reveals early on what is really happening there is very effective and chilling.

Unfortunately, the narrative tension goes down quite soon, and the rest of the revelations, the action scenes, etc. come along in blurts. I believe even in horror stories -or maybe especially in horror stories- there must be at least some character development, so that the viewer really relates to the victims and feels the tension, but there's none of that here; and the climatic ending suffers from the poor narrative and the unidimensional nature of characters.

"Anatomie" had potential for a lot more; it was a small disappointment.

When Medical student Paula Henning (Franka Potente, of "Run Lola Run" fame") wins a highly coveted scholarship, she's understandable enthused. But strange experiments are being done on live sedated bodies somewhere on the premises. When she recognizes a corpse as the boy she met on the train there, she decides to snoop around. What starts of as a reasonably captivating little thriller derails completely by the third act and becomes a carbon copy of any other slasher film made, which is a shame as if the film just stayed on target, it would've been something special, as the acting was good into then and the camera-work was pretty good throughout.

My Grade: C

DVD Extras: Commentary with director Stefan Ruzowitzky; 2 Deleted scenes with commentary by director Stefan Ruzowitzky; Anna Loos - My Truth (music video); 2 & a half minute Make-up featurette; barely 5 minute Making-of featurette; Talent files; Production photos; Storyboard comparisons; Dubbed Teaser & Theatrical trailers; and Trailers for "Circus" (2000) & "Run, Lola, Run"

Anatomie is a great horror/suspense movie.It's different from the horror teen movies which are always the same and very boring.Inded!The movie is very well produced and with a lot of creative and scary.I had never watched a german movie in my life ,and now I'll give more attention for them. Because this move deserves attention especially in the rest of the world.

Franka Potente is just superb and pretty.I think she's very cute and has a lot of potential.She's one of the most promisor actresses on hollywood.And now she's only success after she played `The Bourne Identity' and in the next `Try Sennteen'.She has potential!

The movie goes well until the end.In the final hours you'll be a little upset with the twists in the story and some facts not very understandable.But you'll survive!The autopsy scenes are incredible and horrible at the same time.Imagine you, seeing people stripping your body, your organs and muscles.It's just terrieble!But,I think that these things really happens with innocent people.Some `doctors' must go on the streets looking for beggars and deficient people to anatomize their bodies.I think that some institutions do these sort of things and it's really sad!

It's brutal and degrating the way that ,in the movie, doctors do the autopsy in common and nondead people.You can see that this motion picture isn't just to entertain us but for raise doubts about the medicine system in the world.These atrocious facts could be happening right now on your city , and you won't know anything.

This movie is essencial for those who want to follow the medicine carreer.It's a great database!And it worthwhile!

P.S.:Conclusion:Pay attention to the other countrie's movies cause it's not only North America that does it well!

Before Franka Potente became famous with the Bourne trilogy she made this German movie. As a student in, you guessed it, anatomy she has to go to the most important school to learn that but there is a secret. Some people joined a kind of mason. She notices that something is terrible wrong in the school and she starts to investigate. Wrong. What happens next isn't really horror it's more some kind of thriller but you really have to watch it for the effects. A few years ago it was a hype to see the exhibition Kopferwelten. What you saw there is what we have here only they didn't used real bodies but it was so nicely done that it could be used in classes. It never becomes gory or even bloody, it is really the atmosphere that creates the movie. But it is one that you must have seen because, some people fears that it could happen to you....