5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
After wandering a ruined city for years in search of food and shelter, two siblings find their way into one of the last remaining buildings. Inside, they find a man who will make them a dangerous offer to survive the outside world.
Starring: Noé Hernández, María Evoli, Diego Gamaliel, Gabino Rodríguez, María CidHorror | 100% |
Drama | 7% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.92:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
While it might only be meaningful for what I assume are the relative few who have seen the Israeli film, I’d like to suggest an advertising slogan for Mexico’s We Are the Flesh: “Makes the graphic depictions of genitalia in Tikkun look like something out of Mary Poppins!”. We Are the Flesh, as might be discerned from that obviously cheeky fake ad, is an intentionally provocative film that does in fact feature some of the most graphic, up close and very personal views of both male and female genitalia you’re probably apt to see outside of a hardcore porn film, all within the confines of what initially appears to be a post-apocalyptic scenario that also includes ample amount of carnage and (just for good measure) cannibalism. It’s a stylistic tour de force for writer and director Emiliano Rocha Minter, but any attempt to ferret out what seems to be Minter’s wish for what he appears to think is mind blowing meaningfulness may be met with some skepticism if not outright derision by some viewers. It’s hard to separate some of the more disturbing and boundary pushing imagery of We Are the Flesh from that supposed subtext, and as such, the film may be best experienced (by those with the tolerance for that very imagery) as a rather outrageous series of images that will no doubt viscerally affect some, maybe most, but not necessarily in a good way.
We Are the Flesh is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.92:1 (one brief sequence is in Academy Ratio, as can be seen in screenshot 3). Arrow's insert booklet indicates the HD master was provided by Emiliano Rocha Minter himself (evidently delivered through Reel Suspects). The IMDb lists the Red Epic Dragon as having been utilized, and the transfer boasts generally excellent detail levels, at least when lighting regimens and color grading techniques allow. As can be seen in several of the screenshots accompanying this review (see especially numbers 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 19), a whole host of various grading techniques have been employed, some of which lead to a marked decrease in fine detail levels. When added into the general darkness that the film exploits after the womb like structure is constructed, there are fairly highly variable levels of both general detail and fine detail, as well as occasional issues with crush. Some of the slate gray to blue grading actually helps to point out some fine detail elements like facial pores. While black levels are generally excellent, contrast seems to have been toyed with at times, something that can add a kind of milky overlay to some sequences. As is shown in screenshot 3, a brief sequence features thermal imagery.
We Are the Flesh's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is often impressively immersive, beginning with the heaving breaths that erupt around the listener even before any imagery is made apparent. A resonant low frequency rumble often attends certain scenes and delivers a kind of subliminal dread. The film isn't really comprised of long dialogue stretches, but what there is typically comes through cleanly and clearly. Occasional sound effects are placed discretely, something that's perhaps remarkable given the proscribed confines that much of the film take place in.
- Emiliano Rocha Minter (1080p; 18:20)
- Noé Hernández (1080p; 20:20)
- Maria Ivoli (1080p; 13:09)
- Diego Gamaliel (1080p; 13:30)
There's no getting around the fact that We Are the Flesh is going to be way too explicit for some, though the ironic thing is my hunch is horror fans may be more upset by the fact that there's really not all that much gore and guts on display. The Oedipal and/or Freudian sexual angle though is depicted in what can only be termed pretty hardcore porn style, albeit with stylistic flourishes that aren't regularly seen in more "down and dirty" porn efforts, and so viewers should be prepared for some extremely explicit material in this film. Because of its content I'm a little hesitant to offer an unbridled recommendation, but for those wanting something "completely different", We Are the Flesh certainly qualifies. Technical merits, especially the audio, are strong, and the supplemental material is quite interesting.
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2019
1944
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1931
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