DONKEY PUNCH

UK, 2008, 99 minutes, Colour.
Robert Boulter, Sian Bracken, Tom Burke, Nicola Burley, Julian Morris, Jay Taylor, Jaime Winstone.
Directed by Oliver Blackburn.

The first half of this film is an ‘immorality fable’, the second part a ‘morality fable’ about the wages of sin (which has been over-illustrated in the first part). The plot is set in Mallorca (though filmed in South Africa with Malaga exteriors).

The plot seems to owe quite a lot to Dead Calm. Three young women on holidays meet four young men who are working the holidays on a luxury yacht. They inevitably accept the invitation to go back to the yacht (the owners away). They glibly take drugs and sex (some explicit and videoed) ensues.

One of the grossest of the characters tells the urban legend of the ‘donkey punch’, a sexist blow to a woman during sex for the pleasure of the man. A nitwit of the group is goaded by the gross man and delivers the punch with dire consequences.

The rest of the film is the cover-up of what has happened, the men conspiring and the women resisting. This leads to violence and the gradual elimination of the characters like many of those current US horror thrillers where the disposable cast is gradually disposed of.

Well-made – but a really unpleasant experience.

1.The impact of the film? An immoral fable? Moral fable? For what audience? Twentysomethings?

2.The Spanish settings, South African locations? Authentic? Mallorca, for holidaymakers? The sea? The musical score?

3.The horror tradition, the boat and its isolation, people eliminating one another? Variations on the genre?

4.The introduction to the girls? From Leeds? On holidays? Their talk, relationships? The meeting of the boys on the beach? Passing the time? The invitation to go to the boat? The hesitation? Going?

5.The men, sailing, their backgrounds? Their intentions?

6.On the boat, the sexual intentions? The advances? The taking of the drugs? The hesitation for Josh and for Kim, taking half the drug – and remaining above board?

7.The sexual encounters, graphically presented? The video? Bluey and his callous attitude? The attitude towards Sean, inviting him in?

8.The talk about the donkey punch, the urban legend? Bluey and his urging on Sean? Sean and the hit?

9.The death, the consequences? Responsibility and not taking responsibility? The attitude of the girls? Lisa’s death? Tammi and Kim? On the defensive?

10.The men, their decision, Marcus in charge? Josh and the legal background? The decision to throw the body overboard? The build-up, the action?

11.The girls, the discussions? Their trying to save the body? Kim and her attack on Bluey and his talk, the knife?

12.Marcus, his being in charge, the body not sinking, the danger from the propeller? The shower? His attitude, Kim throwing the flare, his death?

13.The girls, their escape, in the boat, the flare, their being taken back? Locked in the room? Kim and her getting out?

14.Josh, his being on their side? The contrast with Sean, wanting the film, his torture of Bluey? Bluey’s death?

15.Josh, helping, Tammi making the mistake, killing him? Her reaction, the suicide?

16.Sean and Kim in the boat, the film? The rope, Sean’s death?

17.Kim as the lone survivor? The others dying and the wages of sin? The morality tale after the opening immorality tale?