Defiled, The (2010)

Author: Brett Gallman
Submitted by: Brett Gallman   Date : 2011-02-16 04:16
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Written and Directed by: Julian Grant
Starring: Brian Shaw, Kathleen Lawlor, and Alden Moore


Reviewed by: Brett G.





We are all meat.


Plenty of post-apocalyptic zombie movies have attempted to put us in the place of those who managed to survive an undead outbreak. But how many have asked us to ponder what it’d be like on the other side? What would it be like to slowly lose your soul to the ravages of a virus that has turned you into a shell of your former self? That’s the question posed by The Defiled, an ambitious film that chronicles an undead odyssey.

It’s probably more accurate to say that the “zombies” here are really some sort of infected humans that have become savage cannibals. They’re rather mindless creatures, but they’ve managed to retain some human qualities; for example, they still travel as families. Our unnamed protagonist seems to be wandering the countryside with his own family, and his female companion is pregnant. She eventually gives birth to the child, but she is soon killed by an apparent military strike. This leaves the man alone to travel with the newborn child; during his journey, he encounters a human woman and saves her from a pack of cannibals. Together, they wander in search of an unknown destination that seems to hold out some hope for the man and his baby.

If anything, I can at least say the concept behind The Defiled is interesting. The final product doesn’t work out completely, but there’s some ambition here. I think it must have been a difficult film to pull off, as there is actually no dialogue--only grunts--so it’s up to the few actors to deliver the story. Lead actor Shaw especially does a fine job of conveying a sense of urgency behind the journey he undertakes; there is very clearly something going on in his head that would give some method to the madness going on here. Unfortunately, we never quite can figure out what is going on or what the point of it all is. The ending doesn’t help to really illuminate anything either, and, in the end, it all seems to signify nothing.

Of course, such nihilism is germane to a film like this and has been an effective tool for other films. However, it doesn’t quite work here because the journey itself is just as dull as the ultimate destination; oftentimes, these odyssey-type films work because what is revealed during the trip rather than the end. That isn’t really the case here, as our two mute protagonists just sort of wander around and repeatedly encounter some cannibals and scenes of random violence; there is one nice moment where they happen upon a ravaged church, and the female lead seems rather appalled by it all. There’s a sense of loss felt here that seems to capture what Grant was aiming for with the film; it’s just that most of it is just a bit too tedious and poorly paced to keep its momentum.

The Defiled fares much better from an aesthetics standpoint. The photography is a washed-out, art house take on nuclear winter, and it captures a world that’s faded, which is appropriate for the bleak, desolate tone carried by the film. This also seemingly invokes previous gothic horrors (and perhaps even Night of the Living Dead), and the overall effect transports us to a place that feels otherworldly and even dreamlike at times. It’s just a shame that the interesting visuals don’t have an equally compelling story to match it. Grant could be a director to watch out for if that happens because he has a keen eye behind the camera, and he admittedly does squeeze as much as he can out of this film’s limited concept.

There’s not much to squeeze, though, and this is just another case where the concept outshines the execution. It’s a highly symbolic tale in many ways (with the baby operating as a symbol of hope, I suppose) about what we’ll do to maintain our humanity, which is often a fine tale; however, this doesn’t seem to be the best vehicle for it. At any rate, Chemical Burn Entertainment will release the film on DVD on March 22nd; the disc will boast a nice anamorphic transfer and a stereo soundtrack. Special features include a commentary, slide show, and the film’s trailer. If you’re in the mood for a different take on the zombie film, The Defiled is worth a look, but you shouldn’t exactly be chomping at the bit. Rent it!



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