Blood Capsule #42

DER TODESKING (1990)

Alternately known as The Death King, this experimental film served as Jorg Buttgereit's follow-up to Nekromantik.  It's an informal anthology in that the narrative is abscinded into seven segments, all of which address a congruous theme.  What is the theme of the day?  Suicide.  Speaking in broad terms, I suppose that Der Todesking simply addresses death, but there are billows of conceptual chowder to lade with your jesuitic...um, ladle.  Baby Jesus, where the fuck am I going here?  I do apologize, dear reader.  I get lost in words from time to time.  If you're not careful (segue alert), you will lose yourself in Mr. Buttgereit's seemingly abstract editing.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Der Todesking.  Cryptic, yet provocative symbolism struggles to sync up with buckram acting and an erratic score.  There are certainly a couple of stand-out performances, and I was genuinely impressed with the camerawork (the "bridge" tableau is goddamn stellar).  I can't deny that there is something about this flick that gestates in your mind's womb long after the credits roll.  Your mind's womb???  Man, I can digress like a motherfucker.  I could write a flatulent disquisition on Buttgereit's sophomore outing, so it's probably a good thing that this is a blood capsule, as opposed to a bloodbath.  In short, it's worth scoping out.