Taxidermia

'Taxidermia' is a film by Györgi Pálfi which was released in 2006 in Hungary. The film follows 3 different generations of men in the same family who have no common sense, no self respect and the strangest of lifes. It has an underlying theme of showing animal characteristics in humans and a vulgar over tone consisting of sexual scenes, masturbation, vomiting and other bodily fluids. I love the way in which you are taken throught the history of a family but each generation is so different.

The first man, Vendel, is a World War 2 solider who is treated like a slave by his Lieutenant. He lives in a small shack and to pass the time fantasises about the Lieutenants two daughters and 'piggy looking' wife. He masterbates when ever he can. His story ends when he the Lieutenants shoots him in a pile of pig carcases after finding out that Vendel slept with his wife.

The Lieutenant's wife gives birth to a boy, Kálmán, who is born with a pig's tail. He grows up to become part of a competitve eating competition in Easten Europe which involves special tacktics and a lot of vomit. Even though the scenes in which is is filmed are file he is a sex symbol to the on-looking crowd.

Kálmán falls in love with a fellow competitioner and has a boy called Lajos who becomes a professional taxidermist. I love the contrast of of his skinny frame to his dads huge body. The dad doesnt really pay attention to Lajos, hes more focused on feeding his 3 massive cats to continue his eating obsession.

Lajos has more in common with his grandad (Vendel) with his dad treating him like a slave bringing him masses of food while he sits and watches his 'glory days' on tape of being a champion eater. This depressing situation is lightened while Kálmán eats chocolate bars whole with the wrapper still on. This obviously leads to his death and Lajos re-acts quite oddly by doing taxidermy to his dad. Then he ends his own life on a contraption he created which rips his body apart.

The imagery in this film is very powerful, over the top, frightful, yet at the same time humerous and it seems to really work to make disgusting images intreeging and engaging. I feel it brings a different element and creates layers in the story. It helps embarrasing or gross images likeable.