The Human Centipede 2 [Full Sequence] (2011)
Review by Jude Felton
Movies that court controversy are inevitably always going to find themselves an audience. Whether this controversy is found purely by chance, as was the case of Childs Play 3 in the UK, or intentionally, people will want to check out the movie. More often than not they will find themselves disappointed with what they find, as the imagery that can be conjured up in the mind is usually far worse than anything you will find in a movie. Granted, this isn’t always the case but there is a good chance that this is true.
Director Tom Six is one such director that in my opinion is one such director that has set out with the intentions of creating such a fowl beast that word of mouth alone will guarantee his work gets seen. In 2009 he delivered the notorious The Human Centipede [First Sequence] which saw folk that wouldn’t normally check out extreme horror clammering to see what all the fuss was about. I was not one of those people.
Two years on and Six is back with the sequel, subtitled [Full Sequence], and has delivered a movie that reeks of filth. Banned left, right and center or with numerous cuts, this sequel had tongues wagging long before anyone had seen it. Now, IFC and MPI Media Group have thrust the movie, completely uncut and uncensored, onto the American public. So then, what’s all the fuss about?
In The Human Centipede 2 we get to meet Martin. He’s a short, fat, asthmatic security guard who is obsessed with The Human Centipede, here portrayed as a work of fiction. He sits in his booth watching the movie over and over again, a plan formulating in his twisted mind to one-up the fictional movie and to create his own 12 person human centipede. Working the night shift at a parking garage in the UK provides ample opportunity for him to find his unwilling victims, and find them he does.
Shot in stark black and white, with only brief glimpses of color, The Human Centipede 2 is a filthy, violent and uncomfortable film to sit through. It doesn’t always make sense, for example smashing someone over the head repeatedly with a crowbar will not just knock someone out and how the hell does this asthmatic dwarf shift so many bodies? Logic is not the movie’s strong point. Striking a reaction from the viewer, however, certainly is. Virtually every scene reeks of a dirty violence, from Martin’s home life with his almost equally unstable mother to his savagely sick violent fantasy which is played out in full graphic detail. There is no let and no escape from the utter filth on display.
Technically The Human Centipede benefits from being shot in black and white, with each shot being crystal clear and in your face. There is a noticeable absence on dialogue. The bit players have all the spoken word parts, with Martin’s role being played virtually dialogue-free. This could have been a risky move had it not been for actor Lawrence R. Harvey’s incredible performance as Martin. On top of his unique appearance he manages to illicit an incredible array of emotion purely through his facial expressions and body language. He might play an abhorrent character, but he plays it so damned well.
So, if Tom Six’s intention was to create another controversial movie he has achieved this in spades. What may come as a surprise to some is that he has also created an incredible effective horror film. There are a few truly uncomfortable scenes to endure, ok then so there are more than a few, that will get right under your skin and will provide many a talking point.
The Human Centipede may not be a perfect film, there are too many jumps in logic for that, but it is very good. You may never revisit the movie after watching it, as it is repugnant, but chances are that you will want to see what Six comes up with in The Human Centipede 3 [Final Sequence]. Yes, there is another movie planned in this truly twisted series of movies.
The Human Centipede is released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 14th by IFC and MPI Media Group
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