Slaughter Night
SL8N8
Accent Films
Slaughter
Night (SL8N8) begins with a powerful and gore filled flashback sequence set in
the 19th century. Andries Martiens was a brutal serial killer who abducted
and beheaded young children in the belief that this would give him entry to
hell to find out where his parents had hidden his inheritance. Later in the
film we learn quite a bit more about Martiens, as his life story is shown in
rather superb stylized flashback historical sequences. We learn that he was viciously
mistreated as a child and escaped his parent’s clutches only by becoming a
sailor. His life was difficult and filled with suffering. When he returned home
his parents had died and left him penniless, even though it was clear that were
extremely wealthy, where had the money gone ? In fury and anger he decides to
use a voodoo black magic rite he learned on his travels to travel to Hell and
confront his parents. To achieve this end he must kill eight children and
behead them.
He
is caught having killed seven children and with the eighth tired to a chair. As he is sentenced to death, he is given an
unusual choice, he can die by hanging or to become a so-called 'fireman' in a mine. It seems that the “firemen”
were dressed in relatively fire proof clothing and send deep into the mind with
a flame to detect gas leaks, the prisoners were given a pardon if they survived
the ensuing explosion. In Martiens case he survived but was shot anyway and his
spirit possessed by hate and fury wanders the mine.
The
film itself spends a leisurely time setting up the story, there is lots of
character development and an excellent backdrop is created for what comes
later. An impressive aspect to the tale is the death of Kristel’s father. The
car accident is unexpected and brutal and links so many aspects of the story
together. It seems her rather was writing a book about Martiens and Kristel and
her friends travel to Belgium to retrieve his papers. Kristel has a number of
strange experiences along the way and it seems her father’s spirit is watching
over her, something which certainly becomes significant later in the story.
These experiences are, however, ambiguous and you are not sure at times if it
her father who is watching over her or perhaps someone else. It seems Kristel
has a link to both her father’s ghost and to Martiens.
When
they arrive at the mine where Martiens met his demise, they are encouraged to
go on a guided tour of the now abandoned mine. As the elevator breaks down,
they are bored and listless so decide to use a Ouija board to contact Martiens.
A little predictably his spirit breaks loose and begins to possess the living
(and the dead), it seems he wishes to recreate his ritual and nothing will stop
him.
From
here on in Slaughter Night becomes a superbly wild slasher film. It has a lot
going for it, the abandoned mine, the suffocating passages, ghosts,
possessions, gore and violence murder and Kristel’s father trying to help them
survive from beyond the grave.
For
a film which was made on a relatively moderate budget the mood, suspense and at
times sheer terror is impressive. The gore and violent mayhem is very effective
and the special effects cannot be faulted. The violence is used very creativity
so combined with excellent editing and the claustrophobia of the mines shafts
and tunnels creates an “edge of your seat” experience.
I
also feel that the upcoming “European” horror films are doing something a
little different. Both Slaughter Night, which is Dutch, and Dead in Three Days,
which was Austrian, spend far more time than most Hollywood films developing
mood and character. They seem to take a far more leisurely approach to setting
the stage for the film and used a lot of background and mood shots to help create
the ambiance. While each film utilizes a high level of violence, certainly more
so in Slaughter Night, this is in the context of a large cinematic plan rather
than simply for its own sake.
The
cinematic style is also different; there is a more developed visual sense in
each film that in most US horror releases, for example. In Slaughter Night,
there is a re-occuring scene where the whole mine is shown from the outside,
with the dark sky behind it and smoke arising around it. This image is a powerful
visual theme, cold, detached and evocative and yet it has no real connection to
what is occurring within the mine itself. It is simply used as a visual motif
and yet is incredibly effective.
This
European development of horror and to be honest Austria and the Netherlands are
not known for their horror output offers a different perspective of classic
horror genres such as the slasher and shows a new and innovative way forward in
what was in many ways becoming a tired and clichéd form of cinema. I think you
will find Slaughter Night a well executed and stimulating experience.