Directed by the great (and often controversial) Jörg Buttgereit, Der Todesking (aka The Death King) is an experimental film that explores the topic of suicide and violent death in the form of seven episodes, each one attributed to one day of the week. These episodes are enframed by the vision of a human body, slowly rotting during the course of the movie. The week begins with a man calmly writing a suicide note, taking pills, getting into the bathtub and dying. Further days include a man banging his head on the wall whilst in a state of extreme distress, a man shooting himself after killing his frigid wife, an empty bridge with the name and age of each suicide victim transposed upon it, and so on and so forth. If you can handle the subject matter, this is a cerebral and beautifully constructed film. Buttgereit has always exceeded in making the most repulsive act (having a threesome with a rotting corpse, for example) visually appealing. This film is no exception.
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
