残酷

简介：Constantlyonthehuntandsufferingfromhallucinationsthatdrivehisviolentnature,anunnamedmaniscapturingwomenandsavagelybeatingthemtodeath.Meanwhile,awomanisluringmenintoaviolentend,bywayofherknife.Drivenbythesameforcetomaketheoppositesexsuffer,thekillers’fatesintertwine.Thetwomustfaceoffinabattletothedeath,inwhichtheyareforcedtorevealthehorribletruthbehindtheiraddictiontomurder.“Brutal”takesaninterestingapachtoitsvisuals,drawingheavyinfluencefromWestern“Grindhouse”films,usingafiltertomakethefootageappeargrainy,damaged,andwithlightandlorfluctuations.Unfortunately,thevisualstylingendsupfeelingmisguided,asotherthanapplyingthefilteritdoesnotimitateanyotheraspectsofthe“Grindhouse”genre.Despitetryingtodirtyupthefilm,itisapparentitwasshotondigital.Thecinematographyisalsoastepabovemost“Grindhouse”ductions,withTakashiHirosevinghehastalentbehindthecamera.Exteriorshotstothosetakingplaceinsmallspacesareallpetentlyframed,lit,andtransitionwell.Thedecisiontoaddaneffectonoftheworkhurtsthefilm’simageryandevengivesasenseofdesperationtotrytocaptureacertaintypeofnostalgiawiththeaudience,insteadofrelyingonitsownstrengths.Itisunfortunatewhenonecreativechoicecanhurtaductionsomuch.Thestoryof“Brutal”issimplebuteffective,itdoesattemptsomesortofsocialmentaryabouttheviolentnatureofmenandwomen,butitdoesnotofferenoughdepthintothesubjecttojustifytheamountofviolenceondisplay.Thefilmdoesendonastrongnotewithaninterestingtwist,witharevealthatisboundtogrosssomeout,whilegivingothersachuckle.Inspiteofitssimplenature,thosewhoenjoyfilmsthatmakethemsomewhatunfortableandenjoythechallengeofgettingthroughsomeultra-violence,“Brutal”posesafunandentertainingchallengeinthatregard.