49 reviews
- Don't watch this while eating
- Don't watch this with other people
- Don't watch this if there's even just a risk of people walking past the screen while it's on
- Don't watch this if surgery scenes make you squeamish
- Don't watch this if taxidermy creeps you out
- Don't watch this if full nudity makes you uncomfortable
- Don't watch this if you hate scenes where people vomit on-camera
- Jeremy_Urquhart
- Aug 20, 2020
- Permalink
Beginning in World War II-era Hungary, two soldiers stay at a remote country home. The sexually frustrated soldier Vendel (Csaba Czene) concerns himself with myriad masturbation techniques while watching his commanding officer's wife and daughters. The product of his frequent seed spillage, Kálmán (Gergo Trócsányi), grows to comfort his country as a champion eater. While the International Olympic Committee refuses to recognize his sport, Kalman remains stolid and captures the heart of Gizella (Adél Stanczel), a fellow female champion. Their heir, Lajos (Marc Bischoff), has not inherited an ounce of his parents' impressive girth. This sickly lad lives a life of quiet desperation as a taxidermist. A disappointment to his corpulent father, Lajos finds a few lucky solutions to solve his problems.
Following these three generations of fairly twisted fellows, TAXIDERMIA is light on plot but heavy on visuals. Visceral often to the point of being gross, few bodily fluids and orifices go unseen in Palfi's sophomore feature effort. Recommended.
Following these three generations of fairly twisted fellows, TAXIDERMIA is light on plot but heavy on visuals. Visceral often to the point of being gross, few bodily fluids and orifices go unseen in Palfi's sophomore feature effort. Recommended.
Gyorgy Palfi's second feature Taxidermia is definitely a milestone in Hungarian film-making, it is a truly astonishing experience and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone wanting to broaden their taste for cinema. I found the film to be a deep black comedy with some stomach churning, twisted scenes intermixed with beautiful artwork and sophomore characters.
Through chronicling the lives of three generations of one family (a soldier from the Second World War, a sportsman and a taxidermist) each is shown to have their own perverse and distorted lifestyle which is cleverly exhibited through (among other approaches), myriad masturbation, excessive gluttony, deformation, dismemberment and taxidermy. In this film Palfi has created a deviant and anomalous world and, via his own talented cinema techniques, has managed to depict it in a shrewdly reflective manner i.e. he holds a mirror up to our own. Those familiar with European cinema will be able to reminisce with the many influences on show, with some scenes even harking back to Pasolini's epic, Salo - this is also combined with many other surreal influences. Some would argue that Taxidermia is a gory, violent and unnecessarily eccentric film but it is all necessary in serving its narrative and is not present for titillation purposes - as is so often found in some of the more contemporary European cinema.
Generally I feel that Taxidermia tells of a society in which defect, sleaze and dishonesty serves its creators own personal vision or goal to further themselves and that this search justifies everything, regardless of how twisted or harmful. In addition to this journey Taxidermia presents the audience with some of the ugliest and darkest places of the human mind. Without saying anymore, I would even go so far to say that Taxidermia is one of the greatest feats of 21st century movie-making.
Through chronicling the lives of three generations of one family (a soldier from the Second World War, a sportsman and a taxidermist) each is shown to have their own perverse and distorted lifestyle which is cleverly exhibited through (among other approaches), myriad masturbation, excessive gluttony, deformation, dismemberment and taxidermy. In this film Palfi has created a deviant and anomalous world and, via his own talented cinema techniques, has managed to depict it in a shrewdly reflective manner i.e. he holds a mirror up to our own. Those familiar with European cinema will be able to reminisce with the many influences on show, with some scenes even harking back to Pasolini's epic, Salo - this is also combined with many other surreal influences. Some would argue that Taxidermia is a gory, violent and unnecessarily eccentric film but it is all necessary in serving its narrative and is not present for titillation purposes - as is so often found in some of the more contemporary European cinema.
Generally I feel that Taxidermia tells of a society in which defect, sleaze and dishonesty serves its creators own personal vision or goal to further themselves and that this search justifies everything, regardless of how twisted or harmful. In addition to this journey Taxidermia presents the audience with some of the ugliest and darkest places of the human mind. Without saying anymore, I would even go so far to say that Taxidermia is one of the greatest feats of 21st century movie-making.
Definitely it's not a movie for everyone! You need to have a strong stomach to see this film until the end!
The plot is about a Hungarian family and the way it develops over three generations; and what crazy family I must say! From the first to the last generation all we see is a bunch of foolish people doing foolish things! The guy from the first generation is a sexual maniac soldier that even does a sexual act with a dead pig imagining he's doing it with a fat old lady The guy of the second generation is a fat (but a really big one!) champion of food contests that eats kilos of food in few minutes to throw up it all a bit later in order to eat some more kilos again! The third guy, son of the last one, irony of destiny, doesn't seems at all to his father (and his mother too), because he's thin as a bone... He works as an embalmer and he's the only person who keeps seeing his father, now a vegetative mount of fat flesh
We can see by these short examples that this movie is actually a little bit mad, but that's exactly its most valuable feature! We can feel the irony since the first to the last minute of the movie, and its dark humour mixed with some gore scenes makes it a really dark comedy! It's almost unique by its madness since we can't find many movies with this kind of roughness. One in which we can find some similarity, about the dysfunctional family's feature, is probably "Amarcord", but there aren't too many we can compare to this one!
The plot is about a Hungarian family and the way it develops over three generations; and what crazy family I must say! From the first to the last generation all we see is a bunch of foolish people doing foolish things! The guy from the first generation is a sexual maniac soldier that even does a sexual act with a dead pig imagining he's doing it with a fat old lady The guy of the second generation is a fat (but a really big one!) champion of food contests that eats kilos of food in few minutes to throw up it all a bit later in order to eat some more kilos again! The third guy, son of the last one, irony of destiny, doesn't seems at all to his father (and his mother too), because he's thin as a bone... He works as an embalmer and he's the only person who keeps seeing his father, now a vegetative mount of fat flesh
We can see by these short examples that this movie is actually a little bit mad, but that's exactly its most valuable feature! We can feel the irony since the first to the last minute of the movie, and its dark humour mixed with some gore scenes makes it a really dark comedy! It's almost unique by its madness since we can't find many movies with this kind of roughness. One in which we can find some similarity, about the dysfunctional family's feature, is probably "Amarcord", but there aren't too many we can compare to this one!
György Pálfi's second feature length movie is Taxidermia, which is about three generation of a family, and all of them has something very peculiar about them: the first one is a horny officer, his son is a very big sport-eater, and his job is very important of him. The third isn't special in any ways, but wants to be. He's very skinny, and there is nothing important about him. His relationship with his father is not very balanced: they diverge from each other in every possible way. But he's secretly planning something, from what he will be famous of... Nothing in Hungarian cinema's history can be compared to this. Not a single Hungarian movie was as violent as this one is sometimes. In some scene it reminded me of Pasolini's Salo. But the disgusting and the violent scenes are all meaningful; probably they are a perverse, misshapen mirror of the society. We can't say, that the leading characters are perverted, because everybody is as much perverted, as the ones we see. Fortunately this unique movie is presented by a big amount of humor - and we simply can't take the characters totally seriously. Taxidermia is a milestone in Hungarian film-making, and was worth every single cent of the Sundance money, from which it was made.
- thebluebasil
- May 27, 2008
- Permalink
Taxidermia is a journeying into a mind we wish not tread, a peek into a couple of worlds and the odd lifestyle we wish not observe; it is an ugly, depraved, grossly confrontational film out to upset and induce nausea than tell any kind of story or greatly explore any kind of material. The film ends up an oddly alienating mess, an adventurous and ambitious piece with a scrap of an idea at its very core which is gone about in its exploration by placing content up on screen of the most horrid, most irritating and most putrid sort; more often than not causing us to self-censor on a number of occasions when we aren't contemplating terminating the film-watching experience anyway. There is no base-level toward which the film might stoop; there is no bottom of any barrel the film is not willing to have a go at scraping, the only thing accessible to keep one sane during the watching of Taxidermia that of being able to recall films of old that have been equally controversial in their content on account of certain directors such as Greenaway or Noé, but films which have been able to incorporate great many degrees of substance to compliment such material. Taxidermia ends with a composition of an object more than eerily resembling Michelangelo's David, a somewhat famous and greatly admired work of art from over the ages. It is, in itself, frank and controversial; György Pálfi's 2006 Hungarian film has at least this in common with said sculpture.
Pálfi's film covers three men of the same family tree from the Second World War-set 1940s right through to the early years of the 21st Century, his key thesis appearing, through various guises, a number of the seven deadly sins including, but not limited to, lust; gluttony and pride. The film begins with an authoritarian and somewhat imperious voice-over informing us of the importance of remembering what precedes where one might currently find themselves in life, the words echo, as if some dictatorship is making the latest in deathly important announcements to which listening is obligatory. If any of us recall precisely what happens in his film then it's not because any of it is particularly important, rather, it will be down to the sheer shock imagery instead of a more genuine, more natural experience which is implemented onto us. We begin on The Eastern Front of World War 2; a certain Morosgoványi Vendel (Czene) is a private in the Hungarian army working with his nation's Communist allies. A masochist whom enjoys exposure to both extreme heat and the extreme cold, and a man with some of the angriest hormones ever put to screen, he fritters away his time between warfare with menial tasks on and around the farmland upon which his company is based spying the local women situated there and speaking to his ill-guided philosophical superiors.
There is nothing too base for either the film nor for its early protagonist in which to indulge; Pálfi effectively daring the viewer to terminate the experience before the opening act can conclude, where sequences or opening 'acts' in the past that have kicked films off, ranging from A Clockwork Orange right through to Irréversible, have carried with them that deep sense of shock cinema methodically at work, in Taxidermia we have a new winner as to the title: "if you can stomach the first 'x' minutes of 'xxx', then you can watch mostly anything". If bestiality, frank and uncensored masturbation as well as paedophilia brewed up in a cauldron known only to harbour the blackest of black comedy is your forté, you might get along better with this opening segment than I did.
We dart forward to 1994; the bright cinematography of a sunny day somewhere in Eastern Europe, as large numbers of people gather around performing speed-eaters in a stadium, actually offering respite from the gloomy and quite disgusting preceding war-set front-line shenanigans. Balatony Kálmán (Trócsányi), born at the end of the 1940s segment, is a world speed-eating champion competitor; in rivalry with many others and with his eye on a female champion of said sport named Aczél (Stanczel). They in turn create another child, a certain Balatony Lajoska (Bischoff) whom later transpires to be the man that operates within the field of the titular profession in modern day Hungary, and whose relationship with his domineering and disgruntled father propels the film's most interesting third for the final act.
The extravagant and expansive approach of delving through the generations and progressing things onward a full sixty or so years masks the fact that very little is either actually achieved, or that the film actually goes anywhere. The film is ultimately a demonisation of various sinful acts, Morosgoványi's lust getting him into bigger trouble than he would of liked with his lieutenant; Balatony's gluttony and pride at what he does having him come to resemble that of a cross between Jabba the Hutt and that large supporting character they had to wheel out on a digger's scoop towards the end of that terrible 1996 film Barb Wire, while it doesn't do his wife much good either. His son, Lajoska, partakes in certain acts later on which in turn comes to represent grotesque in-glorifications of wrath as plot developments transpire and the pride Lajoska takes in what he does combines disturbingly with the action he takes born out of narrative revelations. I don't doubt for a second that Pálfi answers to no studio executive in the ultimate creative choices his films probably harbour; but surely, there might have been somebody in and around the project of Taxidermia that on another day would've taken the man aside and just had a word in his ear: "Really, György? Really? Do we REALLY need those extended sequences of slicing, cutting, injecting, piercing and stitching on top of all that projectile vomiting?"
Pálfi's film covers three men of the same family tree from the Second World War-set 1940s right through to the early years of the 21st Century, his key thesis appearing, through various guises, a number of the seven deadly sins including, but not limited to, lust; gluttony and pride. The film begins with an authoritarian and somewhat imperious voice-over informing us of the importance of remembering what precedes where one might currently find themselves in life, the words echo, as if some dictatorship is making the latest in deathly important announcements to which listening is obligatory. If any of us recall precisely what happens in his film then it's not because any of it is particularly important, rather, it will be down to the sheer shock imagery instead of a more genuine, more natural experience which is implemented onto us. We begin on The Eastern Front of World War 2; a certain Morosgoványi Vendel (Czene) is a private in the Hungarian army working with his nation's Communist allies. A masochist whom enjoys exposure to both extreme heat and the extreme cold, and a man with some of the angriest hormones ever put to screen, he fritters away his time between warfare with menial tasks on and around the farmland upon which his company is based spying the local women situated there and speaking to his ill-guided philosophical superiors.
There is nothing too base for either the film nor for its early protagonist in which to indulge; Pálfi effectively daring the viewer to terminate the experience before the opening act can conclude, where sequences or opening 'acts' in the past that have kicked films off, ranging from A Clockwork Orange right through to Irréversible, have carried with them that deep sense of shock cinema methodically at work, in Taxidermia we have a new winner as to the title: "if you can stomach the first 'x' minutes of 'xxx', then you can watch mostly anything". If bestiality, frank and uncensored masturbation as well as paedophilia brewed up in a cauldron known only to harbour the blackest of black comedy is your forté, you might get along better with this opening segment than I did.
We dart forward to 1994; the bright cinematography of a sunny day somewhere in Eastern Europe, as large numbers of people gather around performing speed-eaters in a stadium, actually offering respite from the gloomy and quite disgusting preceding war-set front-line shenanigans. Balatony Kálmán (Trócsányi), born at the end of the 1940s segment, is a world speed-eating champion competitor; in rivalry with many others and with his eye on a female champion of said sport named Aczél (Stanczel). They in turn create another child, a certain Balatony Lajoska (Bischoff) whom later transpires to be the man that operates within the field of the titular profession in modern day Hungary, and whose relationship with his domineering and disgruntled father propels the film's most interesting third for the final act.
The extravagant and expansive approach of delving through the generations and progressing things onward a full sixty or so years masks the fact that very little is either actually achieved, or that the film actually goes anywhere. The film is ultimately a demonisation of various sinful acts, Morosgoványi's lust getting him into bigger trouble than he would of liked with his lieutenant; Balatony's gluttony and pride at what he does having him come to resemble that of a cross between Jabba the Hutt and that large supporting character they had to wheel out on a digger's scoop towards the end of that terrible 1996 film Barb Wire, while it doesn't do his wife much good either. His son, Lajoska, partakes in certain acts later on which in turn comes to represent grotesque in-glorifications of wrath as plot developments transpire and the pride Lajoska takes in what he does combines disturbingly with the action he takes born out of narrative revelations. I don't doubt for a second that Pálfi answers to no studio executive in the ultimate creative choices his films probably harbour; but surely, there might have been somebody in and around the project of Taxidermia that on another day would've taken the man aside and just had a word in his ear: "Really, György? Really? Do we REALLY need those extended sequences of slicing, cutting, injecting, piercing and stitching on top of all that projectile vomiting?"
- johnnyboyz
- Feb 14, 2011
- Permalink
A soldier with a rich sexual fantasy and lots of time on his hands (or better said, with his hands). An obese man competing in eating contests. A taxidermist. What do they have in common? Well.. Quite simply put.. Part of their genes. They are, respectively, the grandfather, the father and the son. Welcome to Taxidermia, perversity grand central.
The film plays out in three parts. Starting with the soldier, followed by the obese man, followed by the taxidermist. At the end of each part the connection to the next is worked out, and it all makes sense, in a twisted way.Each of the parts is a barrel of laughs, dark and grim in its own. Often disgusting and revolting but most of the time just hilariously cynical.
Effects used are mediocre at best but that doesn't harm the film too much - it is mostly the comedy value that is to be appreciated. Way of filming is off the beaten track, but not so far that it becomes disturbing or genuinely brilliant.
Sick, gruesome and deviant. I love it.
9 out of 10 kilograms of lard eaten
The film plays out in three parts. Starting with the soldier, followed by the obese man, followed by the taxidermist. At the end of each part the connection to the next is worked out, and it all makes sense, in a twisted way.Each of the parts is a barrel of laughs, dark and grim in its own. Often disgusting and revolting but most of the time just hilariously cynical.
Effects used are mediocre at best but that doesn't harm the film too much - it is mostly the comedy value that is to be appreciated. Way of filming is off the beaten track, but not so far that it becomes disturbing or genuinely brilliant.
Sick, gruesome and deviant. I love it.
9 out of 10 kilograms of lard eaten
I never write about movies, but this is the one movie that has truly made me feel sick. I credit it as a work of art, it is brilliant in that sense, but on a personal level, I am left more disturbed than thrilled.
I gave it a 4... and I was being generous. I cannot fathom why someone would want to watch this movie more than once. I watched it knowing what I was getting myself into, and out of curiosity but I was not expecting what came up on screen. I don't recommend this film to anyone... even though it is beautifully filmed and at the highest quality... you have to have the stomach to watch it.
I don't think that it was funny at all either... some people have said so.. but i honestly didn't think any of it was funny.
I gave it a 4... and I was being generous. I cannot fathom why someone would want to watch this movie more than once. I watched it knowing what I was getting myself into, and out of curiosity but I was not expecting what came up on screen. I don't recommend this film to anyone... even though it is beautifully filmed and at the highest quality... you have to have the stomach to watch it.
I don't think that it was funny at all either... some people have said so.. but i honestly didn't think any of it was funny.
- naturally_unique
- Apr 18, 2008
- Permalink
It is very sad that such a talented director is also so demented. The first 20 minutes of this film are filled with stunning, magical scenes. For instance, a bathtub serves as a metaphor of Life; a great feat of cinematography. then, Anderson's Little Match Girl,a pop-up storybook, is filled with live characters. Clearly, the movie is a 10. Yes, there is a lot of sexuality (masturbation, male frontal nudity) and masochism, and these don't detract from, but add to the beauty of the story.
But as usual, Palfi then starts gratuitously killing animals. Not staged killings and torture, but actual. He did the same in Hukkle. After some 15 minutes, he poisoned a cat.
I don't car what humans do to themselves (masturbation, sex, torture) for the sake of a movie because they are willing participants,but non-humans should not be sacrificed for the sake of a film. NO film requires that.
It is too bad that Palfi's talent is mixed up with sadism and the objectification, and therefore lack of consideration for "real" versus symbolic Life. Taxdermia could have been a 10. Hukkle could have been up there too. Both are 2s.
But as usual, Palfi then starts gratuitously killing animals. Not staged killings and torture, but actual. He did the same in Hukkle. After some 15 minutes, he poisoned a cat.
I don't car what humans do to themselves (masturbation, sex, torture) for the sake of a movie because they are willing participants,but non-humans should not be sacrificed for the sake of a film. NO film requires that.
It is too bad that Palfi's talent is mixed up with sadism and the objectification, and therefore lack of consideration for "real" versus symbolic Life. Taxdermia could have been a 10. Hukkle could have been up there too. Both are 2s.
- kevindpetty
- Jan 18, 2014
- Permalink
Oh my god! I just got out from seeing Taxidermia at MIFF 2006 and I was literally speechless. As I was one of the first to leave the theatre, I took it upon myself to stand out the front and watch the expressions on the faces of other patrons as they exited. Most were laughing in disbelief at what they had just seen, some were white as ghosts and some looked plain baffled. Whatever way you look at it, Taxidermia will certainly make a strong impact on you.
I saw Gyorgy Palfi's "Hukkle" a few years ago at MIFF and although that was an interesting film, he's really excelled himself with Taxidermia. One thing's for sure, you'll need a strong stomach to watch Taxidermia a) for the gore & b) cause you're gonna laugh your head off! Outstanding cinema! 10/10
I saw Gyorgy Palfi's "Hukkle" a few years ago at MIFF and although that was an interesting film, he's really excelled himself with Taxidermia. One thing's for sure, you'll need a strong stomach to watch Taxidermia a) for the gore & b) cause you're gonna laugh your head off! Outstanding cinema! 10/10
Three different stories that are going to shock the viewer. I was warned but I have seen so many Japanese flicks that were sickening that this wasn't shocking at all but still for the 'normal' viewer this s a sickie.
The first story shows us a man who is out to satisfy himself in so many ways with his cock. And of course male nudity is shown, some parts are funny (with the chicken) others are shocking.
The second part is all about eating and vomiting and is shown, so for many it will be shocking again.
Part three was or me the boring part. But still, it can be shocking for some
Overall this is a weird flick that is made to offend the viewer and I n tell you, it will, and if you have a weak stomach, don't eat before watching this.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 1/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5
The first story shows us a man who is out to satisfy himself in so many ways with his cock. And of course male nudity is shown, some parts are funny (with the chicken) others are shocking.
The second part is all about eating and vomiting and is shown, so for many it will be shocking again.
Part three was or me the boring part. But still, it can be shocking for some
Overall this is a weird flick that is made to offend the viewer and I n tell you, it will, and if you have a weak stomach, don't eat before watching this.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 1/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5
I thought this was a true original and it made me break out in a sweat at certain points. Not many films have a physical effect on their audience.
There were some astonishing moments and scene transitions that were literally breathtaking. I didn't believe the director had put certain things in to solely shock as some people have suggested. The film looks very lush in style and there were some stunning compositions. My favourite story was the final one with the sickly grandson of the original character. I am trying to source 'Hukkle' now as I want to see more by this director. I have not seen anything this interesting for some time. This film lingers in my mind.
There were some astonishing moments and scene transitions that were literally breathtaking. I didn't believe the director had put certain things in to solely shock as some people have suggested. The film looks very lush in style and there were some stunning compositions. My favourite story was the final one with the sickly grandson of the original character. I am trying to source 'Hukkle' now as I want to see more by this director. I have not seen anything this interesting for some time. This film lingers in my mind.
I'm not expecting this kind of movie, because watching it without knowing anything about it, is the decision. "Taxidermia (2006)" is not your typical comedy horror movie, the story tackles the real events when you're sexually frustrated and the life of "competitive eaters". Overall, it was a good movie and I thought this movie is not for everyone, because of its unusual content. But it gives me a new perception in these kinds of movies.
- JamesSagad0612
- Jun 14, 2017
- Permalink
Honestly this movie is just so good. It has comedic properties, its disturbing and its honestly very impressivly filmed. This movie has a fascinating plot with three main characters. A Father who is a weird dude with very strange fetishes, a immensly fat man who has a strange obsession with cats and a psychologically abused and skinny man who has a strange passion for taxidermy. Honestly the plot of this is just so incredible and it is 1000% worth the watch. It is enjoyable and interesting as well as attention keeping and passionate. You can really tell that the directer is just so talented and this movie should be cemented into horror history. Please watch this and please enjoy.
- Sarhorrorlove
- Mar 30, 2023
- Permalink
Taxidermia is the goriest, most disturbing and most disgusting film I have ever seen, yet is one of the greatest feats in 21st century movie-making. It is dark and repugnant, but very deliberately so. It is not at all self-indulgent, although it might seem that at first glance. However, 30 minutes into the film one cannot help but realize that all this gore is meant with purpose, that this sickening texture of coherence is what gives this satire its peculiar authenticity. L'art pour l'art gruesomeness really gets my goat, but in this case everything falls into its right place. Although I got physically sick watching it, I have to admit I am an admirer of Taxidermia.
We see three generations of men from a strange family: an army orderly obsessed with one-sided sex, his son, an acclaimed speed-eater, and an animal preparator. They are all peculiarly abnormal in their own ways but so is everybody else in the twisted world Gyorgy Palfi has created. But we all know that however deviant a world is on screen it merely is a reflection of our even more deviant everyday life. What Palfi tries to put across is that in our society sick is not even sick any more, dementia is not dementia any more, and we are ready to accept any defect or corruption of mind as long as they serve the self right in his quest for creating something new, something with which he can stand out from the crowd even more. Search for the inner genius justifies everything.
We see three generations of men from a strange family: an army orderly obsessed with one-sided sex, his son, an acclaimed speed-eater, and an animal preparator. They are all peculiarly abnormal in their own ways but so is everybody else in the twisted world Gyorgy Palfi has created. But we all know that however deviant a world is on screen it merely is a reflection of our even more deviant everyday life. What Palfi tries to put across is that in our society sick is not even sick any more, dementia is not dementia any more, and we are ready to accept any defect or corruption of mind as long as they serve the self right in his quest for creating something new, something with which he can stand out from the crowd even more. Search for the inner genius justifies everything.
- VoiceOfEurope
- Jun 25, 2007
- Permalink
This film aims for shock value rather than plot.
We see several generations of a family who are all strange in different ways.
The ideas are certainly original and the film moves at a good pace. There are a few twists as we follow the characters and get a view of their quite brutal and unpleasant lifestyles.
The reliance on disgust is boring though, if you aren't shocked by the imagery then you aren't left with much else.
The dialogue is minimal and the characters aren't likable, we are supposed to see them as exhibits not develop empathy for them. This leaves the film feeling slightly dead with no emotion and no real impact.
Watchable for the weirdness but would certainly offer nothing worth a second viewing.
We see several generations of a family who are all strange in different ways.
The ideas are certainly original and the film moves at a good pace. There are a few twists as we follow the characters and get a view of their quite brutal and unpleasant lifestyles.
The reliance on disgust is boring though, if you aren't shocked by the imagery then you aren't left with much else.
The dialogue is minimal and the characters aren't likable, we are supposed to see them as exhibits not develop empathy for them. This leaves the film feeling slightly dead with no emotion and no real impact.
Watchable for the weirdness but would certainly offer nothing worth a second viewing.
- imdb-19548
- Mar 16, 2009
- Permalink
I'd like to give this 10 stars for sheer inventiveness and audacity not to mention a brilliant eye, but for me it didn't quite work totally as a film, falling apart slightly towards the end.
That said I'd recommend doing whatever you have to to catch this film, it's certainly one of the most original offerings I've seen in a long while and hopefully it's only the second of many to come. Looking at the release dates, sadly it doesn't seem to be getting much exposure outside the festival circuit in many territories. Hopefully it will at least get a (well) publicized DVD release.
Watching it caused me to seek out Hukkle (the first feature) and that proves easily that Taxidermia is certainly no fluke, Hungary is surely producing a major talent here.
That said I'd recommend doing whatever you have to to catch this film, it's certainly one of the most original offerings I've seen in a long while and hopefully it's only the second of many to come. Looking at the release dates, sadly it doesn't seem to be getting much exposure outside the festival circuit in many territories. Hopefully it will at least get a (well) publicized DVD release.
Watching it caused me to seek out Hukkle (the first feature) and that proves easily that Taxidermia is certainly no fluke, Hungary is surely producing a major talent here.
- homer_says_doh
- Feb 27, 2007
- Permalink
TAXIDERMIA is a horrible film. The director, who possesses some kind of art-house sensibility, has seemingly decided to make a film as grotesque and offensive as possible. He tells the story of three men in three generations of the same family, and what follows is an anthology of three linked stories.
The first is about a soldier who's also a sexual pervert. Lots of unpleasant sexuality in this one, and it's all a bit pointless. I struggled through it, and hoped the second story would be better. It isn't, it's far worse: a lengthy segment about a speed eater, the sole purpose of this part is to show obese people vomiting. Over and over again. The final part follows the same character, but also links to his son, who has some bizarre notions about death and art.
The characters are outrageous, the script is silly and the glorification of the grotesque just doesn't work. There's no point to all this, no power, and attempts to justify TAXIDERMIA as a groundbreaking exercise in surrealism are, in fact, groundless. Instead, this puerile piece of nonsense is nothing more than the vision of somebody with crude and childish tastes who has too much time on his hands.
The first is about a soldier who's also a sexual pervert. Lots of unpleasant sexuality in this one, and it's all a bit pointless. I struggled through it, and hoped the second story would be better. It isn't, it's far worse: a lengthy segment about a speed eater, the sole purpose of this part is to show obese people vomiting. Over and over again. The final part follows the same character, but also links to his son, who has some bizarre notions about death and art.
The characters are outrageous, the script is silly and the glorification of the grotesque just doesn't work. There's no point to all this, no power, and attempts to justify TAXIDERMIA as a groundbreaking exercise in surrealism are, in fact, groundless. Instead, this puerile piece of nonsense is nothing more than the vision of somebody with crude and childish tastes who has too much time on his hands.
- Leofwine_draca
- Jun 21, 2012
- Permalink
Fascination and revulsion with bodies in this unique film. The fact that it's labeled as "Comedy|Drama|Horror" on the categorizations is not someone being cute, it's as fair assessment as one can come up. I was drawn to the director for his vision in an earlier film about a hiccough.
Whereas "Hukkle" worked on a small story, in a small section of time, in a small village mostly with non-actors, here directory Palfi produces an epic film spanning three generations, and with plenty of CGI and other gadgetry. Evidently the work is drawn from a series of Hungarian short stories, and check out this board comment from "bodaa" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410730/board/nest/155009133 The film feels like it has that sort of depth, I did latch on to the 3/7 of the deadly sins. And for me, the whole notion of the sickly significance of our bodies, especially in this era of telepresence and virtual reality teases, that alone is pretty, um, heavy. The grotesque characterizations are done with such precision and care, this could have easily been a sloppy art-house film, lampooning the exaggerated depictions of the three men.
But Palfri's devotion to details midst the dementia, like the love affair in the middle of the eating champions. That scene in the paddle boat, it's just done with such care, and for a brief moment floats a postcard joy into story. I just was constantly drawn to this film despite any of the number of the repulsive scenes. In stories, an author can get away with much more, something may be mentioned and we, the readers, may comprehend, but a film maker is doomed or, in Palfi's case, challenged to show us what we may not want to see.
In that, Palfi is unique, and again this is a unique film that I hope you seek out. Even if the Hungarian history remains hidden to one, the film stands out.
Whereas "Hukkle" worked on a small story, in a small section of time, in a small village mostly with non-actors, here directory Palfi produces an epic film spanning three generations, and with plenty of CGI and other gadgetry. Evidently the work is drawn from a series of Hungarian short stories, and check out this board comment from "bodaa" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410730/board/nest/155009133 The film feels like it has that sort of depth, I did latch on to the 3/7 of the deadly sins. And for me, the whole notion of the sickly significance of our bodies, especially in this era of telepresence and virtual reality teases, that alone is pretty, um, heavy. The grotesque characterizations are done with such precision and care, this could have easily been a sloppy art-house film, lampooning the exaggerated depictions of the three men.
But Palfri's devotion to details midst the dementia, like the love affair in the middle of the eating champions. That scene in the paddle boat, it's just done with such care, and for a brief moment floats a postcard joy into story. I just was constantly drawn to this film despite any of the number of the repulsive scenes. In stories, an author can get away with much more, something may be mentioned and we, the readers, may comprehend, but a film maker is doomed or, in Palfi's case, challenged to show us what we may not want to see.
In that, Palfi is unique, and again this is a unique film that I hope you seek out. Even if the Hungarian history remains hidden to one, the film stands out.
- ThurstonHunger
- May 29, 2010
- Permalink
there are some films that you watch and recognize that it is good, but your insides are screaming - this is horrible. that pretty much sums up the entire experience of this film. if you truly enjoy yourself watching the film, really love it in the moment, then i think you missed the point (and probably are kinda scary and desensitized). but after your stomach stops turning, you are left with a film that has pushed past the regular or expected, into a space of unique social and political commentary. As disgusting as this film is, and it is by far the most disgusting thing i've ever seen, it absolutely has to go that far to shake people up.
- imjustheather
- Jan 13, 2008
- Permalink