The Cremator ( Czechoslovakia - 1969 )

Directed by : Juraj Herz | Starring : Rudolf Hrusinsky | Language : Czech | Genre : Horror-Drama | Country : Czechoslovakia | Year : 1969

If you can listen to just one person’ voice over for some 65 minutes out of 95 minutes of the playing time, then the film The Cremator is for you, but by saying that, I didn't mean the voice over was bad, it is a kind of hypnotizing, even while seeing the film through subs.

The Cremator is a surrealistic dark horror film from Juraj Herz, released in 1969, but then it was banned till the fall of Soviet Union. In 1989, the film was re-released. This is the fact, I learnt later, as of now lets dig into the plot.

Plot ( **Possible Spoilers** )

The film starts with extreme closeups of a family of four visiting a zoo. The voice over of Karl Kopfrkingl (Rudolf Hrusinsky), the cremator, narrating about his family. The titles then play with chopped up photos. Cut to the story, 1938, Karl lives with his happy family. He is working in the local crematory as it's director. The German troops are in the verge of invading Czechoslovakia. 

Karl Kopfrkingl 

His favorite book is a Tibetan Book of Death, which he always refers to it. He is proud of his job, as the book suggests death is one which humans are revealed from earthly pains and sufferings. He then meets his World War I buddy Walter in a party. Walter suggests to him to prove his German origin. Walter asks him to eliminate Karl' wife and children since they are partially Jewish. By proving this, he will be given a good opportunity in future by the occupying Nazi Army (mass extermination). 

Karl often hallucinates of him being invited to Tibet to become next Dalai Lama. In the end his daughter escapes his assault, and then some Nazi sympathizers take him for the next level (mass killings). He accepts his new role eagerly, since as for him death is an escape from sufferings and by cremation the soul is liberated.

Some scenes from the film-

My Take

The voice over of Karl is a major part in the film which adds to excellent pop kind of  film making.

Fast edits, which normally doesn't give time for the viewers to comprehend the scene. For example, Karl will get a beautiful scenic painting, he hangs it before the bath tub, saying to his wife that this is the ideal place, but as he is seeing the painting which is hanging on the wall, there is a fast cut on which he sees a nude painting. There are so many scenes as above.

The next cinematic suspension of disbelief is transition from one shot to another. Some times there is no fade in or fade out or any form of transition. For example, Inside a penthouse, Karl will be talking to a prostitute, he walks off from the prostitute and turns back, -scene change- we see he is in his house talking to his wife. At first I couldn't catch this trick, since being black & white; it was hard for me to pick it.

The cinematography has to be much talked about, the camera sees unusual places, the closeups of forehead, behind the neck, the Karl' point of view shots are some thing different and some times disturbing. The camera zooms forward and backward rapidly which creates a sort of kick to the viewers.

The music adds more pace to the chilling horror, Zdenek Liska; the composer creates music which is fabulous and surrealistic too.

This film is not for a normal film goer who seek entertainment, this is a must see for film makers especially technicians. A MOVIE SHOULD'NT BE MISSED.

Further links:-

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cremator

www.imdb.com/title/tt0063633/

Sound Track -www.juno.co.uk/products/zdenek-liska-the-cremator-spalovac-mrtvol/505628-01/