We Are the Flesh, or Tenemos la Carne, is a true WTF piece of cinema that has been brought to Blu-ray thanks to one of our favorite distributors, Arrow Video. Is there a deeper meaning to this film? Is it worth your hard earned dollar? Let’s find out.
As I said, this movie is very WTF-worthy. From the opening shots alone it quickly becomes readily apparent that this film frees itself from the confines of a sane reality. We view a man living in a world torn asunder, making fuel from soggy, wet bread. He then trades this precious commodity to an unknown entity on the other side of a pulley system beneath a wall for some eggs.
This man’s solitary life has taken it’s toll on his sanity, and, by his own admission, he embraces it fully. However, it is not until a young man and woman stumble upon his quarters that we begin to see just how far down the rabbit’s hole he has gone.
In exchange for food and shelter, these two newcomers help the man with his work and put up with his creepy and overtly sexual comments. His questioning why these two are not having sex frequently leads us to the discovery that the two are siblings. This, of course, intrigues the man, who tells them that only by embracing his loneliness has he come to accept his darkest desires, and that they should do the same. Yea, he full on suggests that these two begin an incestuous relationship. This is where things go full tilt, will graphic frontal nudity of both male and female variety, masturbation til death, murder, and blood covered sex between brother and sister, in X rated awkward detail.
This movie is 100% in line with other shock social commentary films such as Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom or A Serbian Film. Throughout the film there is a frequent and increasing sense of tension and unease as the situation gets more and more fractured from any sense of a reality. Violence and sex are depicted in a highly artistic yet sadistic light, and it is all in service to portraying a socio-political view to the viewer. Whether or not you understand what it is trying to say is another story altogether, but generally speaking, these types of films make a universal point against governments or the wealthy treating everyone else poorly.
However, where We Are the Flesh shines in comparison to other titles with similar shock values lies in it’s artistic styles and it’s fascinating delves into the human psyche.
Artistically, this film is gorgeous. Not only are the colors vibrant in sheer contrast to the garbage covered and drab environment, the visual symbolism in scenes that take place in the characters fantasies are breathtaking, even when you desperately want to look away, you are unable to. This is a sign of fantastic filmmaking.
As for delving into the human psyche, this film definitely stands out. The premise that embracing loneliness and giving up your sanity is a freeing mindset that allows you to embrace your darkest desires is likely a true sentiment (although we don’t recommend trying). Throughout the film we see several perspectives of this as each character is in a different stage of giving in to their insanity. A handful of fantasy sequences further nails this home.
In the end, this movie takes several turns from seemingly nowhere, leading the view on a nightmare journey leading up to an ultimate mindfuck and powerful realization in the last seconds that will leave you thinking.
We Are the Flesh is nothing if not a visual journey through a nightmare experience. This release is absolutely gorgeous and, if the content weren’t so out there, would be one to share with all your friends to show off your system. You will not be able to take your eyes from the screen, which you may or may not be happy about.
While I’ve spent a lot of time discussing the beauty of this release, the audio is equally as impressive. In fact, a lot of the immersion comes from the ambient sounds – the squishes, breathing, and moans that permeate the atmosphere and makes the very unreal feel very real.
While I highly recommend this film, my recommendation comes with one major caveat. Don’t watch this with your family or with any children. This movie is unsettling and sure to induce nightmares to younger viewers, and will lead to some awkward tension if viewed with the wrong crowd. But that is just my two cents.
Special Features:
- Two shorts – Dentro and Videohome
- Virginie Salevy on We Are the Flesh
- Interviews with Emiliano Rocha Minter, Noe Hernandez, Maria Ivoli, Diego Gamaliel
- Trailer
- Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery
Arrow is always a favorite of mine. The inclusion of extra shorts is always welcome (even if they are oddities such as this, which is even better, in my opinion). The special features will surely please anyone looking for more about this film. Personally I had to watch them at a later time because after viewing this film I wanted to let it settle on me first. It had me thinking quite a bit.
For packaging, we get the typical Arrow setup, which is top notch. A double sided sleeve comes in a nice looking clear case with a full color booklet and the film on Blu-ray and DVD
Final Thoughts:
We Are the Flesh is highly recommended to anyone who thinks that they can stomach a bloody and nightmarish trip into the psyche of lonely humans in a post apocalyptic setting. Oh, and there’s pretty graphic incest, too. But underneath this shocking and dark story is a smart commentary with an interesting look into depravity as a symptom of loneliness and insanity.
You can purchase it here on Amazon.
Note: This Blu-ray was sent to us for review. This has not affected our judgement or editorial process in any way. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this process
