A Certain Kind of Death

I recently saw "A Certain Kind of Death" on Sundance and it literally blew my mind away. It was captivating because this documentary actually makes one appreciate life a lot more.

"A Certain Kind of Death" explores as to what happens to the unclaimed dead (the deceased with no RECORDED next of kin)when their corpses are now the care of the government (which in this case is LA county). Maybe many people have an idea what happens to the deceased John and Jane Does' of the world but this explores the nitty, gritty details as to what happens. I will not spoil it here or go into too much detail, but there are people whose job it is to take care of the unclaimed dead corpses and to them it's business as usual, but the images from their jobs will stick with you and I have, at least, learned to appreciate my family and most importantly my life after watching this story (in other words, don't take everyday life for granted for you never know....) This isn't a cheery documentary. It does make you think and feel. Some viewers have complained that the people in the film aren't passionate about their jobs. Well, since when processing corpses on a daily basis (mind you, some of these corpses are in pretty AWFUL shape) invokes passion??? This is what essentially happens when you die folks, there's no way around it. Some have pretty mahogany coffins with satin lining, others have 24k gold urns for their ashes, but their are many out there not so fortunate but in the end we all end up the same: ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

I highly recommend this film.

I love this film. The director's unblinking eye captures something extraordinary and mundane. You see the process of laying to rest the John and Jane Does of Los Angeles. Some parts are extremely graphic, showing the bodies of deceased people (vagrants really) as well as the practical and unsettlingly methodical protocol used to handle and interr the remains. Part of me sees this film as a sweet elegy about death and impermanence. The other part of me sees a film about fascism and genocide because all of the living characters are lower-middle class bureaucrats who exist in a bureaucratic fog. Whether they shuffle papers or crush incinerated bone fragments, there is an alarming detachment masked behind a thin layer of civic obligation. This is not like the docs on CourtTV; this is a thoughtful, well-shot production.

This film, in my opinion, belongs in a genre that, for lack of a better term, I call "Great Film, Horrible Story!"

In terms of the acting, the script, the cinematography, the directing, all of the stuff, which is all academic, that you can go to college & learn, perhaps even earn a degree in, much, if not all, of that stuff in this film, & in others that belong in that genre mentioned above, is awesome! And yet such films are so well made not just because of the academic stuff, that other films seemingly don't care about at all. They are also so well made because they have a purpose that is universal & transcendent across cultures, across time. And it is rather common for said films to be on the rather low budget side of things. Unfortunately, this is the reason that it can be very easy for such a film to be underrated, even virtually unknown. I find that to be so annoying that it creates within me what you might call a "pet peeve"; especially when a film, such as this one, is held in comparison to other films that are, for example & specifically, far more popular and they suck! There are dozens of teenybopper flicks, rom-coms, big budget Hollywood blockbusters that come to mind... That disparity is not what makes this, & other similar films, such a beautiful example of the art form of film-making; but, it does highlight the reality that it would be a great thing if people stopped giving a damn about trash and actually paid attention to films that matter.

There is an unfortunate aspect for a film being a part of this newfound genre. Sometimes, ..in spite of all of the positive qualities that a film has, the film, or some aspect of the film, can be to much for some people - to much violence, to much gore, to much politically incorrect language, etc. And that's the other aspect of this that puts such a film into this newfound genre; what comes off the screen, the story, can be to much for some people. So, let's say that a film is excellent and underrated. As soon as it starts to receive the notoriety that it deserves it is lambasted for being... _'too real'_ ... or some other bullshit excuse. I don't know, maybe that's ironic. I do know that the people that do it are sad & pathetic! Still, if some people can't take the heat, they should stay out of the kitchen. I do believe that it is true that some films should just never be seen by some people.

It reminds me of just how sad & pathetic IMDb is for removing my review of this movie that I posted years ago! Am I the bad guy?! Did I do something wrong¿?

I worked as a hospice nurse and witnessed several people pass with no family present. I always wondered what the next step was for them. It's a sad but curious process they go through with no one to take care of the next steps following death. Several things you don't think of in life at a certain age. You can't look away! If anything it makes you want to prepare in advance so you don't fall through the cracks. Rare views of decomposition and the cleanup process before they became a regular YouTube view. You do become involved with the individual they find...do they find family? Why did they die? What was their life like? Very interesting but done it what I feel is a very respectful and somber way given the subject matter. It is interesting to note they do look for quite some time for surviving family before burial.

The film follows the events that happen following three people's deaths in LA county. None of them have next of kins and are in the hand of the government.

Overall, it was good but not captivating enough. Only one of the three I felt that I really gotten to know his life or who he is. The other two people followed in the film felt "incomplete." The people they interviewed also did not seem passionate enough about their jobs, and as a result, I did not feel the emotions I expected from a film with its goal.