The past few entries have been a celebration of the fun, bold and adventurous side of Horror. This is not one of those. From Czechoslovakia comes a tale of madness that grapples with a well-meaning cremator of the dead (Karl) who becomes consumed by the psychology of his work. He takes the ceremony of cremation, why it’s done and how his job is meant to benefit, and goes too deep down the rabbit hole until he becomes convinced that his work is a blessing to be shared with the world. As it happens, the Nazis are coming to power around him.
Karl comes to see the world as a tomb, and he calls his crematorium a “temple of death.” To help understand this, the film narrowly focuses on Karl. Most of the dialogue is monologues of Karl’s interior thought and his circle of friends and family are only seen when interacting with him. (Comparisons to Taxi Driver are there, but I wouldn’t say if you like one than you’ll appreciate the other.) While this all sounds incredibly bleak, it’s astounding how well symbolism and gothic atmosphere steer it into Horror and Satire. Karl brainwashing himself would be fantastical if it wasn’t something that we’ve encountered in real life.
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