Un Gatto Nel Cervello: Cat In The Brain

A Cat in the Brain

Lucio Fulci

Wes Unruh

I think it would be fair to say that I’ve never seen previous film from
Lucio Fulci, the director and star of the film ‘Un Gatto Nel Cervello,’ meaning I have no idea what parts of the film are bits cut in from his previous work, and what parts
were entirely new to this biopic pastiche from a classic splatterpunk filmmaker.

I’m not a fan of splatterpunk for its own sake, although I heartily enjoy low-budget special effects and filmic work-arounds. Yeah, in my opinion, that’s what makes an indie film great, honestly,
when you are complicit in the suspension of disbelief simply because you admire the technical proficiency of the direction in view of the obvious financial constraints evidenced by the rest of the film. Part of this is because I believe dealing with low-budgets triggers innovation. Low budget projects succeed when the film cuts through the audience’s expectations, leaving the viewers bewildered by what we had witnessed. And perhaps once you are sucked into the narrative, the suspension of disbelief is further maintained through a subconscious acknowledgment of the problematic nature of ‘film as truth’ to begin with… but as I said, all this is just my opinion. Even so, I detect these same sort of meta-themes run rampant throughout Cat in the Brain. The film puts itself and its creator on trial for its crimes against itself. The director’s body of work is dismembered metaphorically through scenes of dismemberment, as if the vioolence on the film wasn’t enough and now violence must be committed against the very footage, begging the question
is Fulci driven to film these orgies of violence by some sinister compulsion? And if so, what does that say about the media that adores his work or the doctor who excuses his own violence by blaming it all on Fulci?

This film’s got a few names:”
Cat in the Brain, A Cat in the Brain, Un Gatto Nel cervello, or just ‘Nightmare Concert.’ No matter what you call it, this bit of splatterpunk film goes beyond the schlocky slasher film.
Although the meta-concern about the nature of filmic truth is stepped aside long enough
for Fulci’s story to unfold, wrapped around montage cut-ups of his previous work with the narrative of private hallucinations as the excuse for the montage addresses this nature of filmic truth somewhat unintentionally and very underhandedly. In a perverse way, the narrative is true and these horrifying
visions truly are Fulci’s hallucinations, now reframed (perhaps) as evidence of his madness.

Sure, this is a gore fest, first and foremost. But it is also a commentary on gore.
It comments on itself, with film sets, dream sequences, and documentary crews creating many layers of narrative. Each graphic sequence is presented, then mirrored, divided by screens, by monitors;
violence of the film takes place at all layers of narrative, and as viewer one is left disoriented, chuckling nervously, and somewhat perplexed. It’s a moving film, but moves not out of fear, or horror.

It moves for the same reason ‘Videodrome‘ moves the viewer… because the viewer is left questioning their own level of
affection from having experienced the film. It moves because it makes you question why you choose your experiences, which might be the most important of all questions a film can raise.

The film is itself stylistically innovative in ways other films have later capitalized upon. Those who watch horror probably know what I mean when I say it has elements that appear in New Nightmare,
(film sequences trigger horrifying flashbacks and hallucinations for those involved with the film’s creation), American Psycho (confusion about if murder has occurred), and Nightbreed
(the evil therapist inciting madness to his own ends). I’m not saying that these films are derivative of Cat in the Brain, but sort of placing it within a familiar context. It helps to be prepared for what you’re about to witness. If, that is, you’ve got the patience (it takes about twenty minutes for the film to really kick in plus it’s dubbed in English).