Cannibal

"Cannibal" by Marian Dora is based on a gruesome criminal case of Armin Meiwes.Meiwes,the self-confessed cannibal from Rohtenburg admitted that he had met a 43-year-old Berlin engineer Bernd Brandes,after advertising on the internet and had chopped him up and eaten him.Meiwes cut off Brande's penis and fried it for both to eat,then stabbed his in the neck with a knife and dismembered the body.Over the next few weeks he defrosted and cooked parts of Bernd Brandes in olive oil and garlic,eventually consuming 20kg of human flesh before police finally turned up at his door."Cannibal" is very graphic and filled with scenes of rough homosexual activity.There are several truly revolting images including penis chomping and later castration scene that made me squirm in my seat.The evisceration and dismemberment of Brandes is shown in unflinching detail.The direction by Marian Dora is flawless as is the acting of two main characters.The minimalist score by Jim Thirwell creates truly oppressive atmosphere of darkness and despair.Overall,"Cannibal" is a grisly and very disturbing shocker that is recommended only for fans of extreme cinema.9 out of 10.

Marian Dora's 'Cannibal' is based on the real-life case of German sicko Armin Meiwes, the Rotenburg Cannibal, who killed and ate Bernd Jürgen Brandes, the willing 'flesh' he found via an online forum. Sparing no detail in its depiction of the gruesome crime, the film is one of the most gruelling viewing experiences I have ever endured, easily rivalling such disturbing works as August Underground Mordum and Aftermath.

Those who successfully make it past the film's scenes of man-lovin' will be confronted with some of the most disgustingly realistic and gut-churning scenes ever committed to film, including a penis severing guaranteed to leave men squirming in their seat, the nauseating sight of the almost-dead victim vomiting and emptying his bowels as he is carried to a barn for slaughter, the prolonged butchering of his corpse by his naked killer (including time out for a bit of entrail fondling and stump licking), and the final consumption of the meat.

While it's hardly what I would call an enjoyable experience (it certainly won't be getting a re-watch from me anytime soon), Cannibal is an effectively disturbing piece of no-holds-barred film-making that succeeds in reminding the viewer what a messed up world we live in. For being so balls-out (rather too literally at times), I reckon it's gotta be worth at least 7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

I just watched the controversial movie Cannibal. It's a weird story that happened in real life in Germany a few years ago. Due the fact that it was all real this movie was banned as soon it came out. Just before it was retracted from the shelves I was able to buy it in a regular DVD shop over here. Now it is available again with the green cover but heavily cut. I have the yellow cover so it's full uncut. That's the story so far about the release. The movie itself contains for some people too much gay performances. If you knew what happened then you should know that it was between two guys, if you can't stand that go watch some Disney flicks. You know what I mean. But indeed, let's say the first hour is all about the love between the two guys. They are indeed naked all the time and all of their bodies is shown, even in close ups. But it never is erotic, you know what is going to happen after wards. The last half hour the disturbing part starts, and it is indeed disturbing. The movie is slow and contains maybe 20 sentences. The rest is on some weird score, if you know that Alexander Hacke was involved then you should know what to suspect. For those not into alternative music, he's from Einsturzende Neubauten. I can understand why it was banned due the extreme gory performances and the gay performances. Be sure to catch the uncut version, surely not for the squeamish. Eat it!

Marian Dora is like the Lars Von Trier of extreme horror. Naturalistic and artistic, Dora creates a language all his own in his films. Cannibal is a fairly accurate retelling of the Armin Meiwes case. A quick search of Meiwes will let you know exactly what you're going to get with Cannibal. Dora has an amazing ability to showcase the most depraved acts with a sense of beauty. Not for weak stomachs.

Sparse, economical, and surprisingly affective, this film wisely eschews exploitation to instead attempt an oddly serious and almost artistic analysis of the famous Meiwes case. Almost in 3 clinical acts (the hunt, the seduction, and the consumption), the film minimalistically explores the theme of sex as predation, consummation as consumption. It also superimposes Meiwes' favorite Grimm tale of Hansel and Gretel onto it as a frame, creating an odd fairy-tale for adults.

It is not an entertaining or pleasant film--but it works very ingeniously. With little to no dialog, the film creates a sense of unease and distaste in the audience through the simple use of frank male nudity, homoeroticism (which for some will seem more disturbing than the violence), and ritualistic slaughter and cannibalism implied cheaply and brilliantly with what appears to be almost no real special effects. Much of what we see is most likely the carcass of a pig, and yet we will feel like we are seeing much more.

The film also creates a sense of an actual relationship between the two men--not that they loved each other, but that they understood each other and each other's desires. The way they interact seems genuine and a part of the paradox of this case.

Shot using the simplest and cheapest of home equipment and with only 2 real actors, the film is also a testament to how successfully done an independent film can be. So little was needed to create this, and it all comes together very well.

Unlike American films like "Hard Candy", which try to moralize its themes to death, this film is far superior in its provocation. I'm not sure who else the audience for this film is, but for those to whom it works--it works almost perfectly.