Cemetery
Man (1994)
Directed
by Michele Soavi
Starring
Rupert Everett, François Hadji-Lazaro, Anna Falchi
Every
night in the small Italian town of Buffalora, Francesco Dellamorte kills the
recently deceased. The cemetery watchman is duty bound to kill the living dead
when they rise from their graves after seven days in the ground. The local
government has no problem believing Francesco battles zombies all night, the
mayor is even quite grateful. But he won’t assign anyone to help or relieve
Francesco of his obligations. With only his mentally handicapped assistant for
company, Francesco is stuck in an endless cycle of killing the dead. But he
meets a woman who changes everything and they fall in love, only for her to
die. And then die again at his hands. But then Francesco sees her alive again,
except it’s a different woman. And he meets another woman that looks just like
his lost love. Francesco doesn’t know what to make of this, but it’s all part
of his journey through love and death.
There’s
no description of Cemetery Man that
will really do it justice. The script is based on a novel by the creator of
Italian comic book hit Dylan Dog, Tiziano
Sclavi. Is it a reflection on life, love, and death? Is it a slapstick/existential
horror comedy about a man in Sisyphean cycle? Is it an art house zombie film? It’s
all of those things and more. To me, Cemetery
Man is a stylish meditation on the mundanities of life and the inevitability
of death. But I’m not even sure that’s right. The movie allows for multiple
interpretations.
Director
Michele Soavi isn’t all that interested in providing answers. He lays on the
symbolism thick and loves mixing it up with a great deal of physical comedy. The
whole movie is very dreamlike. The seemingly inescapable nature of Francesco’s
life, the hazy focus of every daylight shot, and the Three Stooges inspired
shticks all make for an unreal narrative. Instead of feeling unfocused, Cemetery Man earns a unique style that’s
both entertaining and contemplative. It’s like the screenplay for Evil Dead 2 got mixed with a philosophy
thesis paper and an Italian culture midterm.
The
makeup and practical effects are fantastic. The zombies look so wonderfully wretched,
finding an odd beauty in decay. They have a dirtier look because of their
recent exit from the grave. Some even have bits of shrubbery and plant roots in
them. Francesco also sees the Grim Reaper, who appears in full daylight to
speak with him. The Reaper looks absolutely ethereal through costume, makeup
and a little puppetry. Cemetery Man is
all around an awesome show of practical effects craftsmanship.
Rupert
Everett does well as Francesco, ably conveying the numbness of his existence
while also pulling off the longing and frustration. François Hadji-Lazaro is
hilarious as Gnaghi, Francesco’s mentally handicapped assistant who only says “Gna”.
The slapstick and physical comedy is relegated to Hadji-Lazaro’s part and he
pulls it off splendidly. Anna Falchi doesn’t really have the material the other
characters get, so her acting leaves a little to be desired. However, she does
manage to play three different parts in addition to appearing full zombie and
fully naked. So, she definitely has the guts to tackle a lot in one movie.
Cemetery Man
is so beautiful, imaginative, and fun. If you don’t mind a lack of answers and
a lot of eroticism (from both Everett and Falchi), this movie is a real gem.
9 out of 10
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