Errors of the Human Body
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Errors of the Human Body |
| Original title | Errors of the Human Body |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2012 |
| length | 102 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Eron Sheean |
| script |
Shane Danielsen , Eron Sheean |
| production |
Darryn Welch , Mike Dehghan , Cole Payne , Sam Horton |
| music | Anthony Pateras |
| camera | Anna Howard |
| cut | Patrick Wilfert |
| occupation | |
| |
Errors of the Human Body is a science fiction - and science - Thriller . It deals with the ethical limits, opportunities and risks of human genetic research and the inextricably linked motives, strengths, weaknesses and personal tragedies of the actors. Based on the fascination of groundbreaking research and seemingly unlimited possibilities, a dramatic horror scenario develops out of the difficult balance between personal ambition and the relentless struggle for the academic recognition necessary to finance one's own work . Alongside this, there are interesting insights into the effects of public opinion that expects simple solutions to complex questions, but does not want to burden itself with the "dirty details" of the necessary work.
action
The entire plot is from the point of view of Dr. Geoff Burton tells the story, whereby many backgrounds and contexts are hinted at by sudden dream sequences and flashbacks and only gradually make sense.
Dr. After a family tragedy and academic frustration due to public rejection of his research in the field of prenatal genetic diagnostics, Burton comes from the USA as a visiting scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden . The director of the institute, Prof. Samuel Mead, greets him like a misunderstood genius and wants to give him a fresh start. Years ago, the scientist Rebekka Fiedler was a visiting student in Boston with Dr. Burton got an internship and had an unhappy affair with him. Although he's now divorced and his ex-wife is pregnant in a new relationship, the trauma that comes with it keeps him trapped. As an infant, their son suffered from uninhibited tumor growth due to an unknown genetic disorder, which was extremely painful and life-threatening. He called this phenomenon "Burton Syndrome " and then focused his research on it, but lost his wife over it.
Rebekka, meanwhile a successful scientist in Dresden, had taken up the topic and vice versa, accelerated the almost unlimited regenerative capacity of the axolotl , primitive amphibian , through genetic modification many times over. However , she has not yet succeeded in transferring it to mammals with the aim of medical application, which is why she had suggested his invitation to Dresden. Rebekka and Geoff are still close, but try to keep their distance.
She originally worked on the subject with Jarek Novak, another visiting scholar, but had excluded him from it because he did not consider ethical boundaries. Geoff discovered by chance that Jarek stole genetic material from her and continued to conduct his own experiments on mice. Geoff, in turn, steals one of these genetically modified mice in order to secretly observe them in his accommodation and is bitten by it. While hunting for the escaped mouse, he accidentally chops off its tail. He draws Rebekah's attention to Jarek's wrong game. She tries to prevent this on a personal level, initially without informing the boss, Samuel Mead. How far Jarek's experiments have come becomes clear when the mouse's tail grows back.
Strongly drunk, Rebekka forced Geoff to participate in an institute's internal costume party. In the midst of the party, the interpersonal tensions are discharged into violence between Geoff and Jarek, with Geoff pulling a laceration on his forehead and being treated by Rebekka. He spends the night with her, but develops a feverish delirium and confuses her with his ex-wife Sarah. In doing so, he deeply hurts Rebekah without even realizing it. On the other hand, he becomes suspicious when he finds a real dossier about his previous work and published problems with her, and Rebekka reacts very angrily when he reads it. Little does he know that her annoyance is mainly due to the fact that he called her by the name of his ex-wife during sex.
In the meantime, his room has apparently been vandalized by Jarek in an unsuccessful search for the stolen mouse. Geoff finds the mouse with its tail now completely regenerated, but disfigured by countless tumors in the dishes. He discovers the same symptoms: the laceration has already healed, but the first tumors appear on the face. He understands that Jarek has not only changed the genetics of the mouse, but that this change is virally induced by a “viral vector” that Jarek had spoken of when they first met, in order to be able to spread the intended “cure” in the same way like a contagious disease. He storms into Rebekka's laboratory to prove this suspicion, but gives up to confront Jarek with the facts. It comes to a fight between the two, which Prof. Mead, who is hastily summoned by Rebekah, can only with difficulty stop. Paranoid panic seizes Geoff and claims that everyone, including Rebekah and Mead, have conspired against him to use him as a subject. When it becomes clear that Jarek's contagious cure works, but has potentially fatal side effects , Prof. Mead tries to lock Geoff in the lab, but he breaks out and runs away. Rebekka follows him and confesses to him that the original gene sequence for her "Ostergen" comes from tissue samples from his deceased son. She still loves him and just wanted to help him and get him involved in research. Ironically, he is now sick with the "Burton Syndrome" that he discovered. Accelerated regeneration and uncontrolled tumor growth are two sides of the same coin.
Delirious, he embarks on a chaotic escape. A flashback suggests that he suffocated his own supposedly terminally ill infant with a pillow of pity. He eventually crawls away from tumors and at the end of his strength with a homeless man. After one last rueful call to his ex-wife, which ended in incomprehensible gossip on her answering machine, he cuts his wrist.
In the end he comes to himself completely healed in the care of Rebekka and Prof. Mead. The "Burton syndrome" is apparently based on an endogenous retrovirus that is present in all people and only slightly mutated and thus became active in him and his son. He himself survived the side effects (temporary tumor growth) and is now healthy again and the tumors have healed. Rebekah describes this as a miracle. Only when she asked why his son did not heal does she realize that he killed him before the healing could begin when he replied, "How could I have known?"
background
History of origin
During the screening of one of his short films at the Berlinale 2006, Eron Sheean met a scientist from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics , the brother of the Australian camerawoman Anna Howard, who later made this film with him. Because of his interest in science, he was initially invited as a guest of the later location for 3 months and developed the themes of the film with the scientists over the next 6 years.
useful information
Blogger Michael Treveloni wrote on FilmSchoolRejects.com on September 26, 2012, "The film is not just a science fiction horror story: it is a commentary on the importance of dialogue and emphasizes the need for all kinds of communication. From the 'Fantastic Fest' In 2012 in Texas, the director Eron Sheean himself is quoted on the same topic: “The film is about a breakdown in communication, both on the surface in the characters and internally with the cells.” (“The film is about a breakdown in communication, both externally related to the people as well as to the cells inside. ")
The purchase and rental media for the film are marked with FSK-16, although the official release card (see individual evidence) bears the note: "Released from 12 (twelve) years". The film does not contain any drastic scenes of violence or explicit sexual representations. The echoes of the horror genre arise rather from the gloomy mood and oppressive dream images.
The film did not come into German cinemas and was marketed on DVD and Blu-Ray from September 24, 2013 .
Web links
- Errors of the Human Body in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Errors of the Human Body at Netzkino
Individual evidence
- ^ Certificate of Release for Errors of the Human Body . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , May 2013 (PDF; test number: 138 747 V).
- ↑ James Whittington: Exclusive Interview With Eron Sheean Director Of Errors Of The Human Body . CBS Broadcasting Inc .. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
- ↑ Michael Treveloni: Fantastic Fest: 'Errors of the Human Body' Presents A Man Divided . Reject Media, LLC. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
- ↑ Jason Cangialosi: Fantastic Fest Review: 'Errors of the Human Body' . Yahoo! Inc .. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2014.