THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING
US, 2006, 91 minutes, Colour.
Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Diora Barid, Matt Bomer, R.Lee Ermey, Andrew Bryiarski
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman.
Who would have thought that a small budget horror movie of the mid-70s which was banned in a number of countries would have led to a minor industry. Not only were there two sequels to Tobe Hooper’s rather horrific but highly influential and imitated film, but there was a remake in 2003 and now this prequel.
The horror genre is a legitimate genre. The question always is about how the horror is imagined and presented: with the gruesome scenes and effects contributing to the film as a whole or presented sensationally, an indulging in blood and gore. And that, of course, varies from person to person, to sensibility to sensibility and depends on audience sensitivities.
This contribution to the Texas Chainsaw franchise tries to do a number of things. First and foremost, it wants to do a variation on the original while keeping close to it. This it does. It also wants to offer some kind of background to the Texas family, the origins of the killer called Leatherface. This it also does in quite some elaborate detail: his birth in 1939 and people’s revulsion, his growing up and working in the abattoirs which gives him all the training he needs to dismember his victims. It moves to 1969 and the closure of the abattoirs for health reasons and the town dying. Leatherface’s family are faced with poverty and hunger – and you can guess the rest, especially when the active member, R.Lee Ermey (reminding audiences all the time of his oppressive sergeant in Full Metal Jacket) assumes the role of local sheriff and pursues victims to the family house, tortures, kills and eats them.
The film also tries to make some social comment on the times, especially patriotism, the past wars and the Vietnam war.
The trouble comes in the ‘how’. The torture scenes are very grim and blood-drenched. Do they keep within boundaries or not? Fans of the genre will say it is all OK. Others will not want to see it at all.
