Directed by Andrey Iskanov

A few years ago I met up with a director from Russia, named Andrey Iskanov, in talks about his flick called Nails. He sent me the files to watch it but I never could get them to line up well enough for me to watch the flick. Now a year later he’s got anther flick out and I was fortunate enough to have a representative of his send me a copy of Nails, along with his new one entitled PHILOSOPHY OF A KNIFE. I must say that I was glad to have seen POAK first because it gave me a complete understanding of what the director tries to convey in his movies. Enough of the babbling and let’s get on with the movie at hand, shall we?

 

PHILOSOPHY OF A KNIFE brutally retells the story of the infamous Japanese experiment camp in Russia called Unit 731, from it's beginnings in the 1930's, to its demise in 1945. It actually seems to be laid into play during WW1 but the point of the story focuses more during the beginnings of WW2 and the Holocaust era. Pictures and scenes of what may or may not be re- created scenes to make this flick have been compiled from the actual Russian Unit 731 Translator to the Japenese; Anatoly Protasov. Retold from the nurse’s point of view (Narrated by the lovely Manoush) there are things that no one, NO ONE should ever have to endure. Experiment after experiment you sit in disgust as these doctors are laying people on tables exposing them to well over Hiroshima like radiation amounts flat out melting sides of their faces off to forcing STD infected patients to rape perfectly healthy specimens to see what it will do to them. The things you see in this film are disturbing and should only be watched if you truly believe you can handle it. My better half has been hounding me ever since I received this movie to watch it. Being with me for a year and a half she’s seen every Takashi Miike film, including IMPRINT, which has been known to make people pass put in sheer terror.. She’s seen Nekromantik, Cannibal Holocaust, Irreversible, Aftermath, you name it, and I’ve made her watch some of the supposed most brutal movies made to date. But nothing to this date has affected her such as POAK. When we got to the teeth pulling section she straight up passed out. I looked over and saw her flat out passed out...first time ever!!! Many props go out to Iskanov for creating such a brilliant, I NEED TO SHOWER NOW, film. Even I was offended by this movie

 

All I can say is to hell with Schlindler and his dumb ass list ….Unit 731 is completely and utterly the most horrifying story I’ve ever heard of. You hear the stories of the Holocaust, the others like Anne Frank (yeah, yeah…poor girl), but holy Jesus, Iskanov shows us a side of a race of people doing something in which I don’t believe anyone could truly understand their reasoning for why they were doing them..There’s really not much else I should have to say to make you want or not want to watch this film. Iskanov’s utilizing of actual interviews of Anatoly, and this director’s success in making a film in black and white that still terrifies the shit out of the viewer is a job well done. Granted it is 4 hours long and tends to loose some of its steam mid way through the second half and you could even go as far as to say maybe he tries to hard but bottom line is that I personally enjoyed this flick. Watch it and judge for yourself.

 

Let me just re-iterate on how bad of a place this was: things were so bad even the nurse had to crank up operatic music on a turntable just to drown out the screams…There’s obviously been a lot of research in this subject and Andrey Iskanov, whom is actually from that area; I believe, beautifully retells a story that will give me nightmares for ever. He’s hopped right in my boat of favorite directors that I’ll watch anything they offer me….you should definitely keep an eye out on this cat…his scarily creeping into American homes and he’s not being nice about it…kudos sir…you are truly a God amongst men! Just watch it….it’s messed up!!!

 

^v^ NECRoSTEIN ^v^