I love a good body horror flick. It doesn't take much for the subgenre to become far-out and gruesome, and while one can build a concrete plot with some specific concept, it's not always necessary; see Eric Falardeau's 'Thanatomorphose' as a prime example. And so it is as well with Kumakiri Kazuyoshi's 'Ravaged house: Zoroku's disease,' the simple tale of a young man suffering from some malady by which his body rapidly deteriorates. We don't even see all that much of the title character, and we don't need to; the film is shrewdly shaped such that the actor's deliberate, measured performance, cringe-inducing sound effects, and secondary visual or narrative cues are all that are needed to accentuate Zoroku's terrible condition. Likewise, this generally bears a flat, even-keeled tone, and if anything the music adds a layer of wry tragedy to the proceedings where it rears its head. And still, for all that, this 2004 piece is all that it needs to be to evoke a visceral reaction of disgust. This is small, and modest, but nasty nonetheless at key points, and it makes an impression.
With earnest care and hard work, even amateur film-making can shine brightly. It's evident that Kumakiri had limited resources to work with, but even so he made terrific use of everything at his disposal. The production design, costume design, and sound design are all splendid, giving rise to some nice detail, and these are all smartly employed to speak to Zoroku's illness in such a fashion that there is minimal need for special makeup, or blood or gore effects, or anything that would customarily come with the territory of this niche genre. Similarly, with only a modicum of story to provide foundation, Kumagiri needed only to gently mold the feature as director as the acting, cinematography, and all other facets fall into place quite naturally. Why, this is actually pretty well made, with a visual experience that's easy on the eyes, and if not for the extremity of Zoroku's affliction then this might well be an ordinary drama about a family dealing with their son's terminal illness. Instead, while the movie remains low-key, the sense of horror is understated but unmistakable, a softer variation that all the same squarely belongs among its kin.
Other ideas are broached along the way that could have easily been expanded upon: the hardship on Zoroku's family, reactions in the village, the man's equally torrid mental state. More significantly, the last act is overly long, and what strength had previously been building is sapped away to some degree as the pacing and narrative cohesion both drop off at a critical juncture. Yet still 'The ravaged house' is all that it needs to be, and even if it's a tad less outright gross, it's readily engrossing with the more purely dramatic approach that is adopted in these sixty-odd minutes. All told I'm decidedly pleased with how unexpectedly good this is, and I rather think that anyone who appreciates body horror will also find the picture to be fairly satisfying. I wouldn't go so far as to say it demands viewership, but if one does have the opportunity to watch then 'Zoroku's disease' is worth checking out.
