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The King of Death, is a German experimental horror film by controversial film-maker Jörg Buttgereit, also known for his NEKRomantik films. The film covers themes of death and suicide, with seven separate segments spread over the seven days of the week. The segments are stitched together by footage of a body slowly rotting and consumed by maggots in time-lapse.
Part exploitation movie, part avant-garde arthouse, a thought provoking and at times disturbing film that will stay with you long after watching it. An uncompromising exploration of the cycle of life, which ultimately shows (though the decomposing corpse) that new life comes from death. The nearest example of a film like it, and themes it covers would be the 1990 experimental horror Begotten. Delivered in a cold, stark, detached style, der Todesking is a classic piece of cult European cinema. Not to everyone's taste, but a must see for anyone who appreciates experimental cinema at its best. |
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Other experimental Buttgereit movies that are worth checking out are 1993's darkly surreal serial killer film Schramm. 1986's Jesus - The Film, made in the exquisite corpse style in 35 segments by 22 individual film-makers in Germany, from 16mm film stock smuggled out of East Germany. More recently in 2010, he released Captain Berlin vs Hitler, a filming of his 2007 campy over-the-top and controversial stage-play.
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