Until
this third entry in the popular horror franchise, the REC movie series has
been all about exploiting a cinema verite
approach; about the expression of a horrific, claustrophobic scenario in
ultra-realistic, “life-as-unfolding”
terms.
But
in [REC]
3: Genesis, the found-footage saga takes an unexpected detour into
artifice, theatricality and romance. It’s
an absolute (and deliberate) departure from franchise tradition to be certain,
but one that suggests ingenuity, and one filled with humor…and even pathos.
To
find a corollary in the horror genre, [REC] 3: Genesis is to [REC]
or
[REC] 2 as Evil Dead 2 (1987) is to the original The Evil Dead (1983): an
amusing re-invention that maintains the gore-and-grue, bread-and-butter of the
franchise, but veers headlong into terms funnier than its hard-core predecessor.
Since
[REC]
2 wasn’t much more than an above-average retread of the brilliant [REC]
in terms of content and style, perhaps it was indeed time to re-invent the
wheel. And so that’s precisely what this sequel does. It continues the progression of the “outbreak”
story established by the first [REC] film, but in a way unexpected,
absurd, and even refreshing in its audacity.
But
be warned: this sequel has earned many negative and dismissive reviews. I suspect the negativity arises because “brand
identification” has become so crucial in the last few years to both viewers
and, alas, critics.
To those inclined to think in such inartistic terms, a [REC] movie must hit certain notes, carry a certain tone and look, and develop in a certain way. What modern audiences appear to want out of a sequel is the exact same experience they already had the last time.
To those inclined to think in such inartistic terms, a [REC] movie must hit certain notes, carry a certain tone and look, and develop in a certain way. What modern audiences appear to want out of a sequel is the exact same experience they already had the last time.
[REC]
3: Genesis
knowingly and brazenly explodes all such expectations, and for that reason has
proven divisive with audiences and reviewers.
The key to enjoying the fine qualities this film does offer -- humor, romance and suspense -- is to
take it on its own terms.
One must judge what it is, not what it isn’t.
One must judge what it is, not what it isn’t.
“Okay,
Cinema Verite…”
[REC]
3 begins as
lovers Koldo (Diego Martin) and Clara (Leticia Dolera) prepare to take their
wedding vows.
A
videographer, Atun, records the ceremony and conducts interviews with Koldo and
Clara’s loved ones. But during the
reception -- one of the guests, Koldo’s uncle -- begins showing signs of the zombie
infection of the previous franchise entries. Specifically, the vector in common seems to be the infected dog, Max, who
was taken to the veterinarian in [REC].
Before
long, several guests at the reception are infected, and newlyweds Koldo and
Clara are separated. They must fight
their way back to one another through throngs of fast-moving, saliva-dripping zombies.
Through it all, Koldo and Clara -- each independently
of one another -- determine that their spouse is alive, and refuse to give up
hope. Going back for Koldo against the odds, Clara cuts
her wedding dress down to fighting-size, and makes use of a chain-saw to
eradicate the pervasive rabid-zombie threat. For his part,
Koldo dons a suit of armor and, at one juncture, utilizes a sword (for cake-cutting...) to combat
the drooling dead.
In
the end, a tragedy ensues. But through
it all, Koldo and Clara refuse to be separated, or to abandon one another. No matter what happens, their destinies shall be
intertwined.
“Is
this our family?” “Not anymore…”
Perhaps
the boldest decision made by director Paco Plaza involves his choice to drop
the found-footage format after approximately twenty-minutes or so of [REC]
3: Genesis.
The
wedding video is a great introduction for the film using that found-footage
format, but this sequel finally realizes -- no
doubt sensibly -- that someone trapped in a life-or-death situation isn’t
constantly going to be glued to a camera eye-piece. There's a naturalistic reason here for dropping hte format.
At
some point, recording the event becomes less important than actually surviving it.
The
dropping of the found footage subjective viewpoint allows Plaza to meaningfully
differentiate his second sequel both in terms of visuals and tone from the
previous entries.
For
those open to a change, [REC] 3: Genesis is successful on
its own terms. The film works ably as a tongue-in-cheek
satire of family gatherings (like weddings), and even a bride’s sometimes
zealous commitment to making sure she has her “special day” as she desires it. The drooling, anti-social zombies -- beginning with the smiling, zombie uncle
-- fit beautifully into this tapestry as the troublesome, sometimes drunk
relatives you often encounter at such parties.
You
just never know what disaster they are going to kick off.
If
Dawn
of the Dead (1978) concerns conspicuous consumerism (and ends in a
slapstick pie fight between bikers and zombies), it’s entirely appropriate for
the REC
series to spend some time – during the second sequel -- offering a bit of social
satire.
This
film also functions, uniquely, as a send-up of the REC franchise. Early in the proceedings, the camera man
repeats dialogue verbatim from [REC] and its uninspired American
remake, Quarantine (2008):
“People have a right to know what’s going
on. I’m filming everything.”
But
in about twenty minutes, nobody’s filming
anything anymore.
So much for social responsibility!
So much for social responsibility!
The
found-footage angle gets dropped like a hot potato, and the film lunges
full-bore into soap opera territory instead, as Koldo and Clara face certain
death in order to reconnect, and to meaningfully start their lives together.
The
considerable tension in the film arises from the fact of the couple’s
separation, but the humor results from the unexpected ways they proclaim their
undying love. They do it over the church’s
P.A. system, and again, finally, when there seems to be no hope for survival.
Our
blood-soaked bride, Clara, becomes, in many ways, an Ash-type, larger-than-life
figure here, and Leticia Dolera is stunningly beautiful to watch in
action. By film’s end, she is all-business, ordering
Koldo to cut off an infected arm, and powering through the pain. You almost can’t help but think of Bruce
Campbell and Evil Dead 2. But this
sequel isn’t a retread of the Sam Raimi aesthetic either, and reaches
unexpectedly for pathos in its final, bloody moments.
[REC] was all about pandemonium, about
rats trapped in a maze with no way to escape.
[REC] 3 shatters expectations by playing not with the found
footage format, but with the audience’s emotional
state-of-mind instead It’s an even
trade, in my opinion, especially for a one-off effort.
For eighty minutes, [REC] 3: Genesis surprises and entertains, with a few jolt
scares thrown in for good measure. The
characters of Koldo and Clara -- even when
we are laughing at them – are the most human individuals featured in the entire
franchise. What happens to them matters. And how they face what happens to them states
something meaningful about the human spirit.
But otherwise, I just can’t imagine how going back into that same, dark, contaminated apartment
building a third time would have been a better, more creative, or artistic
choice for [REC] 3.
Therefore, I applaud Paco Plaza and the other filmmakers for playing out a fun variation on a theme, instead of merely grinding a familiar, well-worn theme to death.
Therefore, I applaud Paco Plaza and the other filmmakers for playing out a fun variation on a theme, instead of merely grinding a familiar, well-worn theme to death.
Other
filmmakers -- and other horror movie franchises
-- could stand to learn the same lesson.
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