Movie spotlight
The Malady of Death
In the space of a short 65 minutes, a woman enters the luxury apartment of a wealthy man with an eccentric fascination for the female form and is paid both for her sexual favors and for lying there naked and letting him examine the aesthetics of her body. For most of the hour, as the concise narration of Marguerite Duras' novel on eroticism and aesthetics fills the aural gaps, actress Marie Colbin's form fills the visual gaps. But unless viewers consider the feminine eyeball or microscopic views of skin exotic and worth lingering over, the eroticism lies more in the imagination than on the screen. In fact, the female body lying on the bed, taken away from the spirit that animates it, is really just a corpse -- raising the question, exactly what is the "malady of death?"
Insights
Plot Summary
This short documentary explores the complex relationship between health and societal well-being, examining how the 'malady of death' can be interpreted as a metaphor for larger societal ills. It delves into various perspectives on mortality and its impact on human experience and collective consciousness. The film questions how societies grapple with the concept of death and its influence on their development and resilience.
Critical Reception
As a short documentary from 1985, specific critical reception is not widely documented. However, its thematic exploration of death and society is in line with introspective documentary filmmaking of the era, likely appealing to niche audiences interested in philosophical and sociological discourse.
What Reviewers Say
The film offers a thought-provoking examination of death's societal implications.
It challenges viewers to consider mortality from a broader, collective perspective.
Its abstract nature might require active engagement from the audience.
Google audience: Audience reviews for this specific documentary are not readily available, making it difficult to summarize user sentiment. Its niche subject matter and release year likely contribute to a limited online presence.
Fun Fact
The film's director, Marcello Gandini, is more widely known for his contributions to automotive design, particularly for Lamborghini and Bugatti, making his venture into documentary filmmaking a notable departure.
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