MovieChat Forums > Philosophy of a Knife (2008) Discussion > Anyone else out there think this movie c...

Anyone else out there think this movie completely sucked?

posted 15 years ago by squeezebox
6 replies | jump to latest

I wasn't looking to be entertained by this movie. I was looking to be disturbed. Frankly, I'm a fan of any movie that can make my blood run cold or upset my stomach. It helps to remind me that I'm not desensitized.

All Philosophy of a Knife did was hurt my neck by making me look at my watch so many times. It's quite possibly the most boring movie I've ever seen. The effects looked like play-dough and chicken gizzards. The acting was awful. And how many times did Andrey Iskanov have to have his name appear in the credits?

I am astonished this movie has even a 5.5 on IMDb. I gave it a 2 and thought that was kind.

The last thing horror fans should be is elitist.

[–] txguy02 15 years ago

After hearing how disturbing this movie was, I had to check it out and I have to say it was very disturbing. Disturbing in the sense that someone actually wasted the plastic to burn this to a DVD, this movie was art house trash. I ran the thing through FF most of the time as the director has zero clue about pacing a movie, let alone how to get the point across of the horrific things done by Unit 731. Through the use of cheap effects and even worse editing, this is a movie to be missed by all.

[–] akuma634 15 years ago

I never saw the whole movie. I really am interested in the history of it, it really was one of the most savage series of war crimes in history and it makes the Nazis look almost human in comparison. This movie just didn't work. The director seems like a complete amateur, he narrates in this very dry and boring tone of voice when he should have just hired someone who can talk and sound interesting to read his scripts, then the reenactments were terrible. It's a bunch of white college students who have shaved pubes or landing strips which really doesn't seem like what Chinese civilians in the 1940's would look like when they're striped down and kept in a prison. It was just halfassed at everything. I just got bored maybe halfway in and got rid of that crapfest of a movie.

[–] lakingsx67 14 years ago

Just finished watching this today. I watched it in 2 parts. I have to agree with all in this thread so far. I originally wanted to see something that would shed some light on what went on there (Unit 731). What I got was a way to long art-house self indulgent 4 hour waste of time for the most part.

I am not one looking for a great "gore" movie or violence. But when you do a movie on a subject like this, to treat the effects the way they did just ruined the seriousness of the subject imo. As one stated it looked like chicken gizzards. As well as colored water for blood being thrown at the camera, walls, floor, etc.

And how many minutes are wasted in this movie with cut scenes of falling snow that seem to come on the screen every few minutes and last for 1-2 minutes each. Nothing special in those scenes. Just black and white video of falling snow. I get trying to make a statement, and a point. But that one was made way to often.

If you are expecting this to be informative, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for some kind of underground style horror movie, you will be disappointed. If you would like to waste a half a day, rent it ASAP.

I literally watch the last 2/3 of the dvd on 2x FFWD for the most of it.
I will say this. If someone went through and edited this down to about 1.5 hours, it might be an OK viewing. The best parts imo was the interview with the old man.

Very sub-par movie.

[–] deacon_blues-3 14 years ago

I'm with you, bro! This thing sucked! Artsy, narcissistic crap that insults the memory of those who suffered! And BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[–] Kragey 14 years ago

I had to watch dozens of movies dealing with Sino-Japanese relations during WWII for a project, which meant most of what I watched focused on the Nanjing Massacre and Unit 731. Out of all of these movies, only two struck me as being absolutely amazing--Nanking! Nanking! and Devils on the Doorstep--and a few others were decent. This film is definitely one of the worst, if not THE ABSOLUTE WORST, treatments of the subject matter. It is exploitative, boring, and based almost entirely on eliciting shock; it's like a *beep* mockery of the actual tragedy that occurred. Avoid this film like the plague it is.

You're a sexual Disneyland.

[–] Strazdamonas 9 years ago

The movie was deliberately dragged out it seems. many scenes run for much longer than they should to keep good pace, but it seems to be a deliberate decision. perhaps we are meant to feel the tension of prisoners or something, personally i think it would be much better documentary/movie if it was cut down to at least 3 hours in length. There was a lot of scenes that seem to provide no extra purpose other than to prolong the movie, and at 4 and a half hour you do not need that.

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