The Collector (2009)

Inside (2007)
Frontier(s) (2007)
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)

Funny Games (1997/2007)

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)/The Devils Rejects (2005)
Hostel (2005)
Saw (2004)
Antichrist (2009)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Baise-Moi (2000)
Audition (1999)
Martyrs (2008)

Cube (1997)

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

The Meat Grinder (2009)

Imprint (2006)

I Spit On your Grave (1978)

Guineas Pig (1985)

Grotesque (2009)

Untraceable (2008)

Ichi The Killer (2001)

August Underground (2001)

The Loved Ones (2009)

Darkroom (2013)

Megan Is Missing (2011)

Territoires (2010)

Art Of The Devil (2004)

Vile (2011)

A Thousand Cuts (2012)

Splatter: Naked Blood (1996)

Eden Lake (2008)

Torture porn movies are complex cultural products that deserve serious
academic attention and analysis.
The previous installment of Dread Reckoning argued that torture porn flicks such
asMartyrs (2008) and Frontier(s) (2007) rightfully deserve critical attention
(see Dread Reckoning: International dHorreur). Furthermore, these films can very
well be considered the pinnacle of the torture porn subgenre. And as
such, Martyrs and Frontier(s) have the potential to become true landmarks of the
horror genre. However, their substantial amounts of violence, gore, and brutality
have earned them harsh comments not only from critics, but also from devoted fans
of fright cinema. But then again, considering that horror is about breaking taboos,
contravening norms, and transgressing borders, any controversy is a good sign that
there is something interesting lurking in the shadows.

In particular, most films belonging to the contentious torture porn subgenre have
been severely criticized not only because of their scenes of torture and mutilation,
but also because of their transgressive treatment of women. Such a controversy
demands a more meticulous look at these films, paying special attention to both
their historical context and to the place they occupy on the history of cinema.

The term torture porn appears to be originally coined by the New York Times film
critic David Edelstein in a short article that appeared in January, 2006 (Now
Playing at Your Local Multiplex: Torture Porn). Edelstein expressed his complex
fascination and bewilderment for the unquestionable popularity of films that feature
numerous scenes of torture and sadism. Specifically, Edelstein
uses Hostel (2005), The Devil Rejects (2005), Saw(2004), Wolf Creek (2005),
and The Passion of the Christ (2004) to characterize this cinematic trend.

It is crucial to realize that all the films quoted by Edelstein were released in
American theaters within a year and they enjoyed overwhelming success at the box
office. Furthermore, the accounts of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse of
prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq had been made public in the spring
of 2004. As a consequence, one is inclined to believe that the rise of the torture
porn subgenre insinuates an underlying cultural shift.
However, it is debatable to assert that the torture porn subgenre was born as a
direct consequence of the public discontent and trauma for the Abu Ghraib incident.
Even though it is indisputable that the new-millennial trend of vicious horror flicks
can be seen as a cultural return of the repressed signifying the tribulations of the
post 9/11 world, it is unlikely that relatively minor anxieties can produce such a
significant cultural shift. Therefore, rather than a cause and effect process, perhaps
the rise of the torture porn subgenre is simply the logical next step in the evolution
of the hyperviolent film.

Indeed, even though the flicks quoted by Edelstein became popular at a particular
point of time and within a specific cultural landscape, they are not the first ones to
showcase scenes of torture. In this regard, it is worth to briefly explore the
surprisingly long history of cinematic representations of torture and sadism. From
fanatical witch hunters to demented Nazi doctors and idealistic cenobites, torture,
sadism, and masochism appear to be ever present in the history of cinema.

Perhaps the first step in this task is to better understand what we mean by torture.
According to the United Nations, for instance, torture implies acts in
which severe andprolonged pain and suffering are inflicted on a person for
purposes other than killing him. Thus, in principle, a violent and gruesome death
should not be mistaken with a form of torture, does not matter how bloody or painful
it may be.

As a consequence, in spite of all their viciousness and gory assaults, Friday the
13th (1980),Halloween (1978), and Predator (1987) do not appear to feature
scenes of torture. But if you think about it, such a distinction is not crystal clear in
other films. For example, one wouldnt call Alien (1979) and Dawn of the
Dead (1979) torture flicks, but serving as an incubator and being eaten alive could
qualify as forms of torture.

Similarly, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) is rarely described as a torture
film, even though it features one of the most harrowing and extended sequences of
psychological torture found in the annals of American cinema. And equally difficult
to classify as a torture film, The Exorcist (1973) boils down to the story of an angry
demon inflicting severe and prolonged pain and suffering to a young kid.

Therefore, because of our complex cultural intertextuality, it may be difficult to

define the exact generic conventions of the torture porn subgenre. Nevertheless, it
is possible to avoid sophisticated intertextual conundrums and identify a torture flick
as one where acts of torture are the main visual and narrative drivers of the
storyline.

Most likely, Edgar G. Ulmers The Black Cat (1934) was the first film to showcase a
scene of torture. Arguably the best collaboration between horror legends Bela
Lugosi and Boris Karloff, The Black Cat is loosely inspired by the literary works of
Edgar Alan Poe. However, it manages to remain faithful to the eerie atmosphere
that characterized Poes oeuvre. A required viewing for the enthusiastic fright film
fan, The Black Cat is often considered as one of the best horror movies that
emerged during the 30s and 40s.

A sinister and gloomy tale of human corruption and obsession, The Black
Cat culminates with a character being skinned alive. Even though such an act of
torture happens out of frame, it was enough to generate disapproval by critics.
However, The Black Cat proved to be extremely popular with Depression-era
audiences and the film quickly became the highest grossing release of the year.

Bringing to mind the ostensibly cathartic effect produced by the recent wave of
torture porn flicks, The Black Cat appears to have brought some sort of solace and
comfort to audiences preoccupied with the appalling cultural and economic
problems of the period. However, The Black Cat did not initiate a trend.
Indeed, The Black Cat is one of the few movies released during the 30s, 40s, and
50s that featured scenes of torture. The only two other examples that come to
mind are The Raven (1935) and The Hands of Orlac(1935).
Even so, in these early films all the scenes of torture are veiled and off screen.
However, by the early 60s the production code that regulated the sex and violence
content of Hollywood productions weakened and eventually collapsed. As a
consequence, during the 60s and 70s, a large number of horror films had more
explicit scenes of torture, sadism, masochism, and humiliation.

The first clear trend of torture films that emerged during these years can be termed
as the inquisition flick. As with The Black Cat, Poes work served as inspiration for a
film about madness, corruption, and obsession. Roger Cormans The Pit and the
Pendulum (1961) takes place in 16th century Spain and the climax involves a
young man trapped in the titular torture device. The torturer, played by the
inimitable Vincent Price, is revealed to be the demented son of an inquisitor.

While the violence was kept to a reasonable level, the commercial and critical
success ofThe Pit and the Pendulum is likely to have influenced a series of films
that depicted a demented inquisitor torturing, mutilating, and humiliating innocent
bystanders. Most of the time, their victim was a young virginal girl who refused the
sexual advances of the inquisitor.

Not surprisingly, the amount of violence and sexual situations increased with each
new entry in this subgenre. The most notorious flicks in this trend include The
Witchfinder General (1968), The Bloody Judge (1970), Mark of the Devil (1970),
and Mark of the Devil 2(1973). Evidence of the cruelty and brutality of these films is
the fact that most of them have been banned or censored at some point in time.

Nevertheless, perhaps the most bizarre, offensive, cruel, nasty, sadistic,

demeaning, and brutal torture films are those that belong to
the Nazisploitation cycle. As the name suggests, these films take place at the high
of World War II and feature Nazis committing a variety of sexual atrocities to
prisoners or innocent bystanders. Brutally explicit in terms of sex and gore,
Nazisploitation films offer abundant scenes of torture and humiliation. Needless to
say, these flicks are not easy to watch by the average moviegoer.
The first film in this notorious subgenre appears to be Love Camp 7 (1969). A truly
unbelievable story, about two female agents infiltrating a Nazi sex slave camp to
rescue a Jewish scientist, is a shameless excuse to portray numerous scenes of
rape, torture, sadism, lesbian sex, and sexual degradation. Interestingly
enough, Love Camp 7 not only was seminal in the gestation of the Nazisploitation
film, but it also defined the narrative and visual structure of the Women in
Prison films that were extremely popular during the 70s.

Following the success of Love Camp 7, a large number of Nazisploitation films

were released during the 70s. Some of these films include: Ilsa, She Wolf from the
SS (1974), SS Hell Camp (1977), SS Camp 5: Womens Hell (1977), SS
Experiment Love Camp (1976), SS Girls (1976), Nazi Love Camp 27 (1977), Salon
Kitty (1976), Love Train for the SS (1977),Deported Women of the SS Special
Section (1976), Bordel SS (1978), The Red Nights of the Gestapo (1978), and a
contender for the best title in the history of motion pictures:Caligula Reincarnated
as Hitler, aka The Gestapo Last Orgy (1977).

The staggering large number of Nazisploitation titles released in such a brief period
of time is a clear indicator of the popularity that these films enjoyed. Furthermore, it
is truly unbelievable that even respected directors contributed interesting films to
this overlooked subgenre. Indeed, Liliana Cavani made The Night Porter (1974)
and Pier Paolo Pasolini, the controversial Italian art film legend,
directed Sal (1975).

One of the most controversial and disturbing films ever made, Sal is a loose
adaptation of the Marquis De Sades The 120 Days of Sodom. Pasolini cleverly
adapted de Sades story to take place in the Fascist Italy of 1944. Featuring scenes
of torture, degradation, and sexual humiliation, Sal nevertheless provides an
incisive criticism to the complex political, social and moral tribulations that haunted
the WWII years.
Not surprisingly, Sal was originally labeled by critics and audiences as disgusting,
pornographic, repulsive, and immoral, decadent, and depraved. Therefore, it is
perhaps ironic that a truly disturbing film like Sal has managed to become an icon
of cinematic art. Today, rather than being considered as another demented entry in
the Nazisploitation subgenre, Sal is appreciated for its many artistic merits.

In this regard, it is conceivably that Sal forces us to reconsider the case

of Martyrs. Indeed, both films were repudiated and demonized because of their
onscreen obscenities. In the case of Sal, for instance, it was a long time before
critics and scholars were unable to see beyond the superficial decadence of the
film. Thus, it is within the realm of the possibility that Martyrs may one day be
rightfully recognized as a true landmark of horror cinema. For this to happen, of
course, critics, scholars, and audiences need to get over their impulsive disgust
and learn to appreciate the beauty that sometimes hides in the most repulsive
scenes of violence and brutality.

In any event, even though Sal took cinematic violence to uncharted lands,
certainly was not the last film to portray scenes of torture. A more recent example of
torture films are those in the Hellraiser franchise. The brainchildren of Clive Barker,
the Cenobites are demonic entities that explore the extreme limits of pain and
pleasure. Each Cenobite is characterized by a specific type of self-mutilation and
most of these films present a variety of brutal, gory, and original torture devices.
Furthermore, as angels from the abyss, the Cenobites are in charge of torturing
souls for eternity.

As such, it is perplexing that Hellraiser (1987), and it gory sequel, Hellbound:

Hellraiser II(1988), never generated as much controversy as the recent wave of
torture porn flicks. Arguably, the torture and brutality in the Hellraiser films appear to
be perceived by audiences and critics as safer, making these movies far less
repulsive than Martyrs orHostel.
One reason for this reaction could be that the viciousness in the Hellraiser films has
a strong supernatural undercurrent. As such, audiences could distance themselves
from the onscreen horrors by simply taking a skeptical position. However, all the
films quoted by Edelstein present torture inflicted to humans, by humans. As such,
they feel more real.

Another reason could be that most of the central characters in Hellraiser appear to
enjoy torture and self-mutilation. As such, the images of pinhead and chatterer do
not feel gruesome, but they feel tantalizing, alluring, appealing, and fascinating.
Furthermore, it has even been reported that Hellraiser motivated a number of
people to look for exotic forms of self-mutilation and masochism.

However, these arguments entail sophisticated moral conundrums. For instance,

both arguments suggest that most people have no problem with onscreen torture
and mutilation, for as long as the victim is supernatural or happens to enjoy pain. In
other words, it does not appear to be a problem with torture, for as long as the right
person gets tortured.

Such moral puzzle was further explored by the hit TV series 24 (2001-2009).
Recent seasons of this show have delved into the issue of torture as a legit mean
to interrogate nefarious terrorists. In episode after episode, torture is always
portrayed to be the most efficient and effective method of obtaining information
from the bad guys. Even though some critics have pointed out at the problematic
subtext, most audiences appear to enjoy the show without remorse. But then
again, 24 trivializes moral issues because all the villains are really evil and there is
little doubt about their alliances and treacheries.

As evidenced by the Nazisploitation, Inquisition, and Hellraiser flicks, torture in films

has a long, rich, and sophisticated history. And by no means was our exploration
intended to be a complete and comprehensive treatment of the topic. In any event,
those who claim that the modern torture porn subgenre is a brand new cultural
product manufactured and consumed by a decadent postmillennial society should
see a few Nazisploitation movies from the 70s. And those who think that Martyrs is
the most depraved and obscene film in the history of motion pictures, should take a
look at Sal.

In a sense, perhaps the main difference between the Nazisploitation films and the
modern wave of torture porn movies is that the former where shown exclusively at
grind-houses, drive-ins and midnight showings, while the later have been shown at
family-friendly multiplexes and the DVDs are readily available at the local Walmart.

Therefore, the big questions remain unanswered: why are these films so popular?
Is it because the audience identifies with the torturer in a cathartic process that
safely vents frustrations and repressions? Or is it because the audience identifies
with the victim taking a masochistic stand? To date, no clear evidence exists to
suggest the exact process in which audiences become engaged to these films.

Regardless of the answers to these questions, torture porn is likely to remain a

complex cultural phenomenon for the years to come. It already poses interesting
academic challenges for critics and scholars. For instance, traditional theoretical
frameworks such as Carol Clovers gender cross-identification process, which was
successful to explain the popularity of slasher films, breaks down in the modern
torture porn subgenre because the final girl usually succumbs to her assailant.

In addition, Western cultures perspective of torture is complex and paradoxical. On

one hand, it is considered immoral, illegal, primitive, and indecent. On the other
hand, it is shocking to see that torture methods continue to be used in the
interrogation of prisoners of war. Furthermore, Christian religion delves around the
adoration of a symbol which is an instrument of torture, and Catholic churches are
ornamented with icons portraying a man brutally tortured to death.

Without a doubt, ignoring, condemning, censoring, or wishing away torture porn

films will not further our understanding of the intricate cultural dynamics that shape
our world. Torture porn movies may deal with immoral and depraved themes that
are contrary to our social norms of conduct, but they remain complex cultural
products that deserve serious academic attention and analysis.