The Living and the Dead

The tale of a mentally-challenged man whose efforts to care for his terminally ill mother go horribly wrong, Simon Rumley's The Living and the Dead is an ostentatiously arty and narratively opaque film (by the end it's not only unclear how much of what we're seeing is hallucination, but also which of the characters is actually mentally disturbed), one that is sure to frustrate anyone expecting a straightforward story of extreme family dysfunction. On the other hand, Rumley's skill in presenting this admittedly idiosyncratic portrayal of madness—in a style somewhat reminiscent of David Cronenberg—is impressive, not least because the filmmaker convincingly suggests the inner workings of a deranged mind. In the final analysis, this is a work of extraordinary vision, but while some viewers will be fascinated by the games the film plays, many more are likely to be repulsed by the elliptical approach and frequently grotesque images. DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette, deleted scenes, a stills gallery, and one of Rumley's earlier shorts, “Laughter” (which also depicts insanity, in the person of a homeless man wandering the streets). A strong optional purchase for very adventurous collections. (F. Swietek)