1
The film begins with a tourist "entering the game". He uses the camera to take pictures of the beautiful scenery. The lens moves up, and we see the beautiful woman in red in the lens. Tourists were then seduced, tortured, and burned, while cameras were in the hands of the locals, who filmed the scene of his death.
Then we saw that in addition to the family of three who escaped by car (the fall from the cliff is explained later in the film), whether it is the death of the female tourist in the dock or the death of the doctor, we can see the appearance of the camera, which is responsible for recording the process of death.
In the climax reversal of the film, the appearance of the videotape and the image revealing the mystery are actually the same as the existence of the camera. One is to prepare for the restoration of the makeup, and the other is more important: this is life and The interval between death is the transition between normality and "immortality", and the distinction between human beings and "artwork".
We know that this is a crazy experiment by the scientists of the funeral home, which can "resurrect the dead". Although it has its own thinking, it is still a controlled tool person. Of course, it is also possible that he succumbed to his own appearance, and the human skin mask also needs to be repaired.
2
In addition to the reversal pleasure brought by the perspective trap (this is the same as "The Sixth Sense"), the most important thing in the film is to show the two longings of human beings that have remained unchanged from ancient times to the present - immortality and eternal youth charm.
On the one hand, cameras and video tapes represent freeze-frame, which is the ultimate form of the ghost town of Petruff, and also the highest pursuit of scientists.
No wonder someone mentioned the "Peach Blossom Spring" in the comments, which must be a black Peach Blossom Spring. People who come in are assimilated and can only enter but cannot exit. The people inside are immortal and their appearances remain the same.
The most beautiful moments are recorded in the photos and videos, and the background sound of "smile" can also be heard in the film. Humans' thirst for perfect appearance is not only reflected in the freeze frame, but also in the makeup, which is also the "artwork production" of the scientist of the funeral home.
And the film does restore this manufacturing process, which explains why the death we see in the film will definitely be disfigured, including being burned, smashed, and corroded. Because it needs to meet the needs of "post-production", it needs secondary processing to become a more attractive artwork.
On the other hand, cameras and video tapes are also "psychic mediums" in horror movies, such as "Midnight Bell" and "Ghost Shadows", there are countless examples. Shaky shooting and blurry pictures are too suitable to spread fear and anxiety. The mass appearance and use of media has made appearance anxiety a "horror scene" that must be faced.
Without records, there is no comparison, and without comparison, there is no harm.
3
Maybe Dan O'Bannon just wanted to make a fuss about the explosion of video media at that time (the beginning of the 1980s when America was entertained to death), and only shot the impact on a backward town. But he certainly couldn't imagine that after decades, the photos and images themselves are distorted (retouching), is this more terrifying and makes people more anxious about their appearance?
The cop's wife eventually chooses to bury herself, dying a second time, and she's tired of being constantly "fixed," tired of the perfect appearance and immortality. The ghosts laid flowers in front of the tomb, turned their heads and started attacking the police, who didn't know it at the time.
This should be the last memory of "normal people". Anyway, everyone has been eroded, but they just don't know it.
View more about Dead & Buried reviews
