You might be taken aback by my comedic summary regarding my vote to "The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)". I guess it's my way of dealing with this horrifying and utterly bleak film, which must be at least partly related to why black comedy exists; people need to amuse themselves and others to cope when it comes to something like this film. It could easily be why the first one is parodied on "South Park" in the enjoyable episode "HUMANCENTiPAD". In the New York Times interview "A More Perfect Union", writer and director Tom Six himself indicated this film has humour, like maybe when there's thunder and lightning when Martin, the main character, gives an angry facial expression to someone. I admit I kind of laughed at that, but I don't think I laughed at anything else. However, I did say things out loud a few times, like probably "Oh God" in a dismaying manner. More appropriate, I think.
Martin is a demented, obese, and non-speaking man, played very well by newcomer Laurence R. Harvey. Martin works as a security guard in an underground parking garage and has a sexual obsession with the first film. Yup, the first film, which Tom Six also wrote and directed. However, whereas that one has three people sewn together ass to mouth, Martin sets out to have *twelve* for his human centipede. Why? For his own entertainment and sexual pleasure. Talk about an unusual sequel. He violently kidnaps some people in the parking garage. There's not a single bystander around, for whatever reason. I'm not sure if I buy that, but then again, I don't know how much realism Tom Six was going for. Martin keeps his centipede victims in a warehouse and eventually combines ten of them together, which makes my summary even more suitable.
"The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)" is in black and white. If it was in colour, especially with little or even no altering, the film would've still been bleak, of course, but as it is, boy, is it bleak. In a good way, nonetheless. It *sort of* reminds me of "Eraserhead", a David Lynch film I really admire. Both are eerie, weird, in black and white, don't have much dialogue, involve an infant or two, and have each main character living in an apartment. "Eraserhead" is weirder and definitely not as violent, though. If David Lynch saw this film, I wonder what he would think about it.
If I look away when watching a film, it's usually because the film doesn't have me interested and not because there's something way too repulsive happening on the screen for me to even look at. With "The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)", I never looked away, though I almost did because it did get a bit too boring. Nonetheless, it's mostly effective with its unorthodox storytelling, grungy and downbeat look, and the acting. (I had a bit of trouble believing the couple at the beginning, but that's a nitpick.)
There's a lot of human suffering and it largely comes from the victims in the warehouse. Even though they seriously lack characterization, I did care about them, at least somewhat. No sane person wants to go through their ordeal. I should mention I really enjoyed the first film. Even though the victims also lack characterization, they have more going for them and I strangely felt more sorry and supportive for them. It's probably because their pain wasn't overwhelming, they're main characters, and there's more focus on them potentially escaping. Here, the story is told mostly from Martin's perspective. He's definitely not somebody to root for. Why is he twisted? What's wrong with his sexuality? His sexual abuse by his father, whom we don't see in person, probably has something to do with those questions. Probably abuse by his mother, as well, whom he lives with. Yeah, this film hardly explores his past.
How come we never see Martin talk? I don't know. I actually don't consider it a flaw, however. I'm so used to main characters talking in films and with the different way it's done here, I didn't mind. He's implicitly characterized, but at the same time, his behaviour is pretty unsurprising. I don't think main characters necessarily have to be likable as if they're a close friend, but they should be interesting, one way or another. It actually seems like we're suppose to feel sorry for him at times, like when his mother lays blame on him to an angry neighbour over something *she* did. I guess Martin deserves some pity there, but when it comes to the film as a whole, you'd probably be wishing him death or having him locked away in a mental institution. I pick the latter. Maybe it'd be interesting if his past was explored and if he used to normally talk, what his dialogue was like, but as the film is, I'm okay with him *as a character*.
I didn't like or dislike "The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)". It's well shot, even though shots are depressing as hell, especially in black and white. I doubt the film is trying to say anything about someone who's inspired by violence in films to use violence in real life. I don't think the film absolutely should, either. In the aforementioned New York Times interview, Tom Six said that such a person is already insane. He's probably right. In an interesting way, this film ends ambiguously, which I won't spoil how, but the third and final film that's in the works will apparently begin with this film's ending, just like how this one begins with the ending of the first. This trilogy is Mr. Six's film centipede. What the heck is he gonna do with the last one? Maybe it should be a musical.
