The Last Circus

Directed by: Álex de la Iglesia

Starring: Antonio de la Torre, Carlos Areces, Carolina Bang, Santiago Segura, Fran Perea, Sancho Gracia

Rated: R

Much has been – and a lot more no doubt will be- written about Alex de la Iglesia's Felliniesque mindfreak of a film, The Last Circus.

One thing you'll never see, though, is someone declaring it to be, “The feel good film of the season!”

It is one of the most, possibly the most, disturbing movies I've ever seen. And I don't mean that in a bad way. Unless you're talking about over-the-top gore-fests, a really disturbing film can teach the viewer much and evoke deep seated emotions.

As unsettling as the story and actions on the screen are, The Last Circus is aesthetically beautiful to behold. The black and white cinematography of Kiko de la Rica-

like the work of Aldo Tonti in Nights of Cabiria, Gordon Willis in Manhattan and Michael Chapman in Raging Bull- is utterly beautiful. It juxtaposes aesthetic beauty with the brutality witnessed in the action on the screen. Any given frame from any of the movies mentioned could be made into a B&W photo print and stand on its own as a piece of photographic art at the highest level.

The story begins in 1937 with young Javier watching his father perform- as the “happy” clown- in a traveling circus. A year earlier the Spanish Civil War had begun and there were factions on all sides of any given issue. The man who eventually rose to power -and kept it for decades- was General Francisco Franco. As his power grew during the war, he began conducting purges. (So many fascist dictators do this, it's almost a cliché...)

As young Javier watches his father perform, the bigtop is suddenly overrun with rebel militiamen. They round up every able bodied man in the tent, give them machine guns and tell them they are going to fight. The clown, still in full clown attire and makeup is handed a machete and told he is to use it. He wants to change clothes but the rebel leader barks at him, “No! A clown with a machete? You'll scare the shit out of them."

He single-handedly wipes out an entire regiment of Franco's army with a sharp blade and plenty of greasepaint.

But he is captured and imprisoned. Young Javier visits his dad through barbed wire fencing on a regular basis and dad tells his son he must follow the family tradition and become a clown.

The film then jumps to 1973 and Javier is grown up, working in a circus. He's trying to fill his dad's oversized clown shoes. The trouble is he cannot -after dealing with so much tragedy in his life- play the role of the “happy'”clown. He has to be the flip side of the coin, the “sad” clown. As played by Carlos Areces, Javier's sad clown is a work of poignant genius. Javier is not pretending to be sad for the sake of the act, he is really one very depressed human being.

His partner/boss is Sergio, who plays the “happy” clown. Sergio humiliates Javier on a regular basis in their act; more importantly he does so in real life as well.

Sergio is in a relationship with Natalia, the trapeze artist. He shows his love by controlling her every move and beating her on a regular basis. Javier is enamored with Natalia as well and wants to save her from the louse, Sergio. Natalia appreciates his concern but always returns to Sergio. This is a form of Chinese water torture to Javier who is becoming -bit by twisted bit- more insane. After repeated attacks on Sergio, Javier is caught and jailed. But no jail can hold a clown with a chip on his shoulder that is as big as his funny shoes. Javier escapes. To say “all hell breaks loose,” would be a gross understatement. The final act, featuring several unbroken minutes of payaso en payaso (clown on clown) action will undoubtedly bring to the fore a whole new crop of coulrophobics. Coulrophobia is the pathological fear of clowns. I have a couple of friends who suffer from this and I plan on buying DVDs of The Last Circus for them. And for myself, who, after seeing “The Last circus” may become a coulrophobic myself.

In the final act I saw one of the most unusual and striking images I've ever seen on film (or anywhere...)

An enraged clown, in his suit and wearing makeshift makeup -for the lack of red greasepaint, Javier makes his cheeks and tongue rosy by applying a hot clothes iron- is shooting his way along with two machine guns, wearing a bandolier and sporting a look in his eyes that makes Charles Manson seem normal.

There is a lot of violence in the film and a bit of it is over the top, as in the scene mentioned above. But the scariest, most disturbing and visceral violence is up close and personal. The kind of pummelings you might expect to see in a bar fight or a street brawl. Body punches that knock a man (or woman) to the ground. Kicks to the ribs. Blunt objects to the teeth. Acid on the face. And ad hoc cosmetic surgery with a clothes iron.

To say I enjoyed The Last Circus would not be a true statement. It's not a film to be “enjoyed.” But I was captivated by the brilliance of the film making and the story has stuck with me for several days. I'll be buying this when it comes out on DVD. Despite the disturbance factor, it's an incredibly well executed piece of film making and deserves multiple viewings. Just don't put it on during a holiday get together with family and friends. Unless you're trying to clear the room.

It's not for everyone, to be sure, but for those who don't mind the painful and bizarre...you're going to want to see The Last Circus.