We need to fix the fact that not many people discuss or are aware of the body of work belonging to Eloy De La Iglesia. The Spanish filmmaker is incredible and of his own unique perspective. His work in the trilogy of brutal crime films Navajeros, El Pico and El Pico 2 were all-timers and poignant pieces of Spanish cinema. These films were perfect reflections of Spain at the time as well as the directors own life, who was himself a homosexual and a heroin addict. Before the insanely personal trilogy, he directed Cannibal Man in 1972. A film that is still banned in Europe to this day, it managed to be more than a mere Giallo clone or slasher fodder. It manged to step outside of the realm of a run of the mill nasty and create a very special imprint in horror cinema.

The plot follows Marcos (Vicente Parra) a poor livestock factory employee who lives in a dilapidated home that is overlooked by new, shiny high rise buildings belonging to the wealthy. Marcos, who fancies himself a ladies man goes on a date with a young woman from a bar he frequents. However, on his way home the taxi driver gives Marcos guff over him making out with his lady in the backseat. The altercation ends with Marcos hitting the taxi driver on the head with a rock to stop him from assaulting his date. I like the way Marcos’ character is outlined. A guy with plenty of porn on the walls of his dilapidated home, but still a guy that is a complete gentleman with the ladies and a hard worker. There is something that verges on subtlety in the guise of something much more sinister, but too tucked away to be sure.

Once, the couple discovers that the taxi driver was in fact dead following the rock to the head, Marcos’ girlfriend insists that he turn himself in to the police. Of course, Marcos doesn’t want to do this. He knows that she will go to the police if he doesn’t. So, coldly, he strangles her to death and keeps her corpse in his bedroom. From there on, Marcos goes on a rampage of self preservation and rage. He begins to kill and and does so with a bit of nonchalance that makes the entire thing chilling. His method of piling up this victims in his bedroom only makes the whole thing more chiling.

Marcos is also a person that is embedded in his place by his culture and upbringing. His mom worked the same slaughterhouse killing floor as he does. He lives in his old family home. His place is very sound. The upheaval and backdrop to the film is the industrialization and democratization that is all around him. The new machine that he is tasked with running is making short work of the hands on livestock slaughtering he is used to. All of this while news reports are illustrating an end to the Franco era. A ending of an era that director De La Iglesia worked on his films through.

In that way, the film reminds me a lot of Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s themes, going so far as to have the technology at the slaughterhouse being made a new and creating something more “humane”. There is a particularly, disturbing scene that features live cattle being hung upside down, and having their jugular punctured to release a waterfall of thick, dark blood. No special effects or anything, the footage is from the factory that he works at and 100 percent real. Not gonna lie, It’s tough to watch.

The finished product is part Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Roman Polanki’s Repulsion. It’s a tale of madness by way of self-preservation but done sociopathically with a very smart edge. Marco’s character is intensely wise and never at a loss for ideas. One of the most disturbing of those ideas will put you off of meat for a good while – if not forever. It comes from Marcos’ idea of how to get rid of the bodies. I won’t say anything else, cause I don’t want to spoil that moment. It is genuinely shocking. However, I’ll give you a clue. Remember, Marcos works at a livestock plant…

De La Iglesia films the absolute hell out of this thing. Framing everything to perfectly suit the narrative and the inner workigns of Marcos by using beautiful sweeps, zooms, tilts and everything in-between. Most notably, is his tendency to stay static inside of Marcos’ house and always moving the camera around erratically once outside.

Cannibal Man is focused on class and privilege. But also working with the backdrop of industrialization and ever-changing politics. This feels personal for De La Iglesia. There are tons of queer undertones at work which were all but condemned at this time in Spain. But, there are moments in which the film is being covertly obvious with these vignettes. Cannibal Man is was a widely misunderstood film and it’s clear to see how. It’s working on 3 different themes and has a lot to say. All those layers working in the guise of this Spanish Giallo splatter picture. The surprising bit on closer inspection is that the film is anything but that, and has a hell of a lot to say. It’s wonderfully shot and gives us a story that is totally unexpected, smart and strangely progressive. Cannibal Man is worth a look if not two or three.

The special features on Cannibal Man’s blu-ray are as follows:

• Cinema At The Margins – Stephen Thrower and Dr. Shelagh Rowan-Legg on Eloy de la Iglesia
• The Sleazy And The Strange – Interview with Carlos Aguilar
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailer

Head over to MVD Entertainment Group’s site here to order your copy of this spectacular Severin release.