The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears (France: L’étrange couleur des larmes de ton corps), 2013.
Written and Directed by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani.
Starring Klaus Tange, Ursula Bedena, Joe Koener, Birgit Yew, Hans de Munter and Anna D’Annunzio.
SYNOPSIS:
A man returns to his apparent block after a business trip abroad to find that his wife has disappeared. He sets out to establish what happened while at the same time entering a sensuous dream world of contorted memory, obsession and lies…
Following on from their Giallo-infused first feature Amer, Cattet and Forzani returned this year with this nightmarish and beautifully realised delve behind the eyes. And eyes are indeed the focal point, captured in alarming close up in a nod to the surrealist world of Buñuel and Dali amongst others.
The plot itself, while on one level glaringly simplistic, is a development of sorts from the limited structure seen in the French-speaking duo’s debut. In Amer the psychedelic imagery and tone had no immediate concern for much in the way of dialogue or plotting. Strange Colour… on the other hand does have a certain degree of story structure, albeit a fairly limited one. And that is at the crux of a sympathetic understanding of the film. Cattet and Forzani are clearly devoted to the Italian school of mid – late 1970’s horror films showcased by the likes of Argento, Bava and Fulci et al. But when does homage become a pastiche?
In this case, I would suggest that the respect shown and the care taken on their symbolist style of cinema is enough to set the filmmaking pair aside from classic horror copyists. While by no means a classic, The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears has more than enough to turn the head of not only a horror fan but also anyone with an interest in new art house film…
Focusing on a man’s investigation into his wife’s disappearance while at the same time discovering hidden truths about himself and his history, the film plays out as internal monologue lit up in an exploding kaleidoscope of imagery and ideas. Other characters fill the screen with their own tales from the netherworld, while all the time the camera returns to eyeballs, holes and doorways.
The best advice for the viewer, as with the central character, is probably best to allow the story to wash over without overanalysing the flaws of logic. After all, it is a dream of obsession. And how often do those make complete sense?
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert W Monk is a freelance journalist and film writer.
Originally published June 23, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
