Taxidermia

(György Pálfi/2006/Hungary)

A triptych of body horror tales aligning three generations of men with phases of history of Hungary, Taxidermia revels in grotesquery. The grandfather is shown as a soldier in World War II, treated abysmally by his superior he fantasises about the wife and daughters he peeps on and ejaculates fire. When he his discovered in actual congress with his superiors wife he is shot and the resultant child is raised as part of the Lieutenants family. This son grows up to be a champion speed eater in post war communist Hungary and aspires to be an Olympic champion in the “sport”. His own son comprises the final chapter and he is a taxidermist who finishes the film by immortalising himself as a work of art. At every turn this film pushes the boundaries of tolerance in the viewer. Each story escalates the emphasis on bodily functions, distorted and distended to points of squeamish extremity. It’s a rough ride but Taxidermia isn’t just a visual endurance test, it is making connections between the psyche of the Hungarian people and historic moments in the country, a treatise on Hungarian self perception. It’s a well considered metaphoric piece of work and utterly disgusting in parts but at the same time thought provoking and affecting.

(3.5/5)