Possibly one of the most talked about series of all time, Faces of Death examines the many guises of death in the extreme close-up. Sure to
shock , horrify and even repulse, these brutal films are not meant for
the faint of heart.
Faces of
Death: VOLUME I - Features a vicious pit bull fight, the clubbing of
baby seals, monkey brains, a man setting himself on fire, an electrocution,
San Francisco cultists dining on human organs, a suicidal jumper taking
his final leap, a visit to a slaughter house, an alligator attack, and
a visit to an autopsy room.
"During the past 20 years I know that my compulsion to understand death was much greater than just
an obsession. My dreams had dictated my mission
and now it is time to witness the final moment, to discover a circle that forever repeats itself.
The end of the beginning or the beginning of the end, I'll leave that decision up to you."
- Dr. Francis B. Gross |
Over the years, Faces
of Death has been the target of a considerable amount of controversy and harsh criticism. This is mainly due to the film's inferences that it shows scenes of actual human death, although we all know by now that, for the most part, this really isn't the case. It is doubtful that a majority of the critics who have panned Faces of Death, as well as most of the activists who have protested against it have even seen the film. These
are the people who seem the most offended by it, mainly because they have
a misconception of what Faces of Death really is: an informative,
well-made, and well-researched documentary. Thanks to word of mouth and
greatly exaggerated news stories, Faces of Death has been falsely branded a sleazy, mindless video-sideshow that gleefully portrays human
destruction in all its splattery glory. While this unsavory description
certainly applies to Faces of Death's countless knock-offs and even
with some of the sequels to the original film, anybody can see after watching
it that this really isn't the case at all.
Faces of
Death is a no-holds-barred study of death, the many forms (or "faces")
it can take, and the fragility of life. Any and every aspect of the mystery
of death is boldly dissected, forcing the viewer to acknowledge that they
too are going to die some day. Although the film is undeniably graphic
and certainly not for all tastes, you really do come away feeling like
you've gained much more of an insight on the world of the dead. Faces
of Death is a very powerful film--not merely because of its gruesome
visuals but because of its actual *content*--and for some individuals it
has an awesome ability to relieve any tension or dread that they may feel
about dying.
Some of the
areas explored within the film are euthanasia, tribal sacrifices, animal slaughtering, meat consumption, and suicide. As each issue is analyzed, the narrator offers his personal take on the situation, as well as the
facts and statistics surrounding it, which are (for the most part, anyway)
very accurate. As the film progresses, the viewer gains a better understanding
and clearer perception of death. Some may experience one or more paradigm
shifts, causing them to re-evaluate the way they have been living their lives. For instance, I know of people who have stopped eating meat, stopped
supporting the death penalty, or who really stopped to examine just how
delicate life really is, simply because they watched this 90-minute movie. In short, Faces of Death has the power to make people realize how often they take their life for granted, and can serve as a cautionary tool
the next time they want to do something reckless.
And as all the
whiners out there who complain about the faked footage--these are the people
who are missing the point of the movie entirely. It really doesn't matter that much of the death scenes were faked, as they probably wouldn't have
any more of an impact than they already do had they been genuine. The scenes
are well-simulated, cleverly edited, and work well in getting the filmmaker's
point across. And, they represent situations that can and do happen regularly
all throughout the world. Isn't that real enough? People who are looking
for a cheap shock or some way of satisfying their morbid curiosity about
seeing what real death looks like should rent Traces of Death instead.
Fans of "shockumentaries" and "reality TV" will be greatly disappointed
by Faces of Death. Faces of Death should only be seen by
those who have a legitimate fascination with the enigma of death. Those
who can actually make it through the entire picture will be the ones who
will appreciate and respect it the most.
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- In
an interview, director John Alan Schwartz said that he played the leader
of the flesh eating cult at the end of the film.
- At
the end of the film, the credits say "Special thanks to the mummies of
Guanajuato, Mexico."
- The
drown swimmer that looks like a hippy was actually discovered by John Alan
Schwartz. He was swimming in the ocean four days before they were to shoot
the alligator sequence and he brushed up against something. It turned out
to be the hippy's body.
- Faces
of Death has been banned in over 46 countries!
- Director
John Alan Schwartz is listed in the Faces of Death credits
as Alan Black. Schwartz's middle name is Alan, and Schwarz means black
in German.
- Over
30 minutes were cut from the banned UK release.
- In
2003 scenes from Faces of Death were featured throughout Rob Zombie's House
of 1000 Corpses.
- Faces
of Death was intended as a Japanese-only release in 1979, but found
its way to the United States, and the national news, a couple of years
later.
- The
original Japanese title for Faces of Death was Junk.
- Director
John Alan Schwartz and a friend built/filmed the famous "electrocution
scene" in a local loft and used toothpaste for the foam effect. Schwartz
used an article from a Hustler magazine on electrocution as research material
on how to make the scene believable............ it worked.
- Once
a year, on Halloween, director John Alan Schwartz speaks at college campuses
about his adventures creating Faces of Death.
- To
date, the original Faces of Death has grossed over $30-million.
It cost $450,000 to make.
     
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