La Perdición Review: Unraveling the Chilling Tale of Butcher Baker’s True Crimes!
Domiziano Cristopharo is no stranger to Severed Cinema readers, nor the horror genre. This time around with La perdición, this 2021 film shot in the Canary Islands in Spain, the director strips things down, taking the Dogma 95 approach, adopted by filmmakers Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, with films such as Julien Donkey Boy and The Idiots.
In La perdición we witness a gay couple progressing – or rather, digressing – in their relationship. One of the men, Javier (Davide Iaconis, Symbolicus Vol. 3) is absolutely infatuated with his boyfriend Mark, (Nicholas Sartori, Eldorado). One day when Javier has sex with his partner, he gets the cold shoulder.
Cut to Mark as he meets an older gentleman named Robert (Lorenzo Vivian). The older gentleman captivates him with his charm, and they walk along the pear getting to know one another. The “date” climaxes with Robert inviting the younger man on his boat. There the two enjoy each other’s company and bodies.
In the morning Mark, pleased with himself, ventures to the boat’s range and makes the duo a cup of coffee. Their day starts fresh, but Robert has other plans. “What is your dirtiest fantasy?” he asks, caressing Mark’s chest hair. After some coaxing, reluctantly, and ashamed he announces “…sometimes I like to do it with very authoritative people, forced and be used, to be submissive, or against my will.” No sooner do the words leave his lips does Robert begin stroking him, which quickly ends in violence with Robert pushing Mark’s head into the bunk, unable to breath properly. He then rapes him.
The next day Robert ventures out, leaving Mark bound and with a ball-gag in his mouth where we witness Mark experiencing a premonition on the boat. When Mark returns, so does the sexual overpowering, with an especially disturbing scene wherein Robert proceeds to thrust his fingers into Mark viciously, resulting in crimson. Things digress rapidly from there.
La perdición is an execution in pure domination of a human being. Mark fascistically proclaims his kink with Robert, who he trusted at first, ending in his own oblivion. The film demonstrates a character in a situation of pure helplessness and agony. This is not the harmless fantasy Mark had concocted, but he will realize the true carnage of absolute submission.
La perdición was shot on a basic consumer camera, abiding by the Dogma 95 doctrine as aforementioned giving a visual style very reminiscent of Marian Dora’s Voyage to Agatis (see here for the review of Voyage to Agatis). The film is shot both beautifully and bleakly.
According to director Domiziano Cristopharo (House of Flesh Mannequins, Erotik) the film is also based on real life serial killer Robert Hansen dubbed “Butcher Baker.” Hansen went on a murder spree between the years 1971 and 1983, where he captured, raped, and murdered at least 17 known women in Anchorage Alaska. How the film differs is that director Cristopharo wanted to showcase the horrors of total domination enacted upon men.
La perdición is as poetic as it is horrific. The film isn’t easy to stomach. The abuse portrayed is extreme but is used in such a way to amplify the desperation. Fans of the film Torment (see the review of the John Wayne Gacy based movie Torment here)of extreme subversive cinema that challenge themselves need to seek this one out.
Directed by: Domiziano Cristopharo
Written by: Domiziano Cristopharo
Produced by: Domiziano Cristopharo, Daniele Panizza
Cinematography by: Domiziano Cristopharo
Editing by: Domiziano Cristopharo
Music by: Domiziano Cristopharo
Cast: Nicholas Sartori, Lorenzo Vivian, Davide Iaconis
Year: 2021
Country: Spain, Italy
Language: Spanish (English Subtitles)
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 21min
Studio: Enchanted Architect
Distributor: Unusual Horror Store
