PATHOLOGY

US, 2008, 93minutes, Colour.
Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Weston, Alyssa Milano, Lauren Lee, Johnny Whitworth.
Directed by Marc Scholermann.

(US, 2008, d. Marc Schoelermann)

It’s probably fair to say that one needs to investigate one’s own pathology for being interested in seeing a film like this. It is a terror story but one that is set in the pathology rooms of a city morgue with quite some close-up attention being given to cadavers, body parts, cutting and slicing and sewing up, probably much more than any of us are going to see in real life. Not that that is a reason for going. The reason for the film is to provide something of a terror movie with some gory scenes.

It is a bit different insofar as we are not waiting for some unknown perpetrator to reveal him or herself. Rather, this is a story of a group of arrogant, amoral rogue doctors who pride themselves in their knowledge, skills and their ability to kill people deliberately or at random so that their peers will enjoy the puzzle of a post-mortem autopsy to determine how they did it. They call it ‘the game’.

The film has a rather cynical tone with the central character introduced as the ideal young American – who then joins the game and proves himself more capable than the leader of the group. As with so many terror films, young film-makers are producing an exercise in fear rather than a human drama.

1. The impact of the film? Realism? Terror and horror? The detail of the morgue and pathology activity?

2. The city, ordinary life, homes, mansions, apartments? The contrast with the hospital, the lecture rooms, the morgue itself, the pathology rooms? The musical score and its atmosphere?

3. The title, the focus on pathology, the training for the doctors, the work with the corpses? The detailed analysis of pathology? The film exploiting pathology? Close-ups and focuses on the corpses, the body parts? The rogue group and their mockery?

4. The credibility of the plot? The rogue group and their behaviour?

5. The focus on Ted Grey, his background, studies, work overseas, his relationship with Gwen, her parents, his ambitions? Going to the hospital? Friendship with Dr Morris, meeting him after the lecture? His being taken to pathology, the introduction to Jake Gallow? The other members of the team? Their initial hostility and suspicions? The support of Dr Stravinsky?

6. Jake Gallow, his personality, leader of the group? The taking out of Ted? The testing of him? Offering participation in the game? The reaction of the other members of the group?

7. Ted, his reactions, going out drinking, the discovery of the game, his responding to the dare? The attraction to Juliet? His being intrigued by Juliet and Catherine?

8. Dr Morris, upright, the examinations, the tests on the bodies? His friendship with Gwen’s family? His warnings to Ted?

9. Jake, taking Ted to the club, the murdering of the bouncer? The body, the speculation about how the man was killed?

10. The other members of the group, their murders? Juliet and her story of the fat man, of her father, abuse, the brutal way in which he was murdered?

11. The reaction of the group, testing themselves out, being ingenious?

12. Jake, his madness, Ted and his reaction? His going to the family, his relationship with Gwen, going back to the city, her coming with him?

13. Jake, going to see Gwen, her death? Ted and his doing the autopsy, framing Jake?

14. The group, Ted and the set up, setting the fire, their deaths? Jake’s escape?

15. The final fight between Jake and Ted? Getting Jake, paralysing him, Dr Stravinsky and his loyalty, working on Jake, Jake and his death? The future for Ted and Dr Stravinsky? Rogue group or not?