I think it speaks well of the Hellraiser series that it’s had no real success at being enjoyed ironically. Jason became far more interesting after he devolved into self-parody. I’m not a big fan of the funny Elm Street sequels, but popular culture seems to enjoy that version of Freddy even more than the original. However, Hellraiser IV: Bloodlines, the point at which the series had unquestionably been run into the ground, can find little harbor, even as a comedy. I feel this is because the other two series were always blood-soaked cash-grabs, whereas the original Hellraiser is a true work of art that can’t be improved by pissing on it.
Of course, I am a little biased because
Clive Barker is both my favorite writer and my favorite director. Of
his three films, I think Hellraiser is actually the weakest
(noting that I’ve never seen the Theatrical Cut of Nightbreed).
It seems like a more visceral horror film to me, whereas Nightbreed
and Lord of Illusions are more psychological in their terror.
The movie revolves around four people:
a girl named Kirsty (Ashley Laurence), her father Larry (Andrew
Robinson), her step mother Julia (Clare Higgins) , and her uncle
Frank (Sean Chapman). Some time ago, Frank attempted to summon
“Angels” to bring him “pleasure” by opening an ancient puzzle
box called the Lament Configuration, and was sucked into a
sadomasochistic alternate universe by creatures called Cenobites.
(As it turned out, their definition of “pleasure” wasn’t quite
the same as ours.)
The remaining three characters move
into the home in which this happened, the one place where Frank still
has a link to this universe. When Larry cuts his finger, Frank is
able to use the blood to create a skinless, almost meatless skeleton
of a body and reveals himself to Julia. Julia, who had an affair
with Frank years earlier, then tries to help him form a new body by
seducing and murdering men and pouring their blood on the floor.
Eventually, Kirsty gets her hands on
the puzzle, and solves it entirely by accident, summons the “Angels”
herself. Rather than being dragged away though, Kirsty makes a deal
with the self-mutilating Pinhead and the Cenobites to help them take
back Frank. The Cenobites turn on her after they get him, but she’s
able to escape and the whole affair is a bloody mess.
Such a quick-and-dirty plot summary
makes me realize just how weird this movie is. It doesn’t fall
neatly into any of the traditional categories of horror. Frank and
Julia don’t fit the mold of the Slasher, with their killings being
too calculated and pragmatic. Furthermore, while the sequels might
venture into Cosmic Horror territory, the first film remains too
thoroughly grounded around the house. The Cenobites are present, but
limited in their appearances, with Frank and Julia providing most of
the conflict.
There have always been heavy sexual
themes in Barker’s work, and an argument could be made that they’re
negative in their portrayals. I’d say it’s not so much
anti-sexual though, as anti-hedonism. He tells the stories of people
who get caught up in their own desires, until those desires destroy
them, along with everything around them. And if he chooses to focus
on sadomasochistic desires, that’s probably because it’s not hard
to depict the destruction of such desires taken too far.
Beyond that, he also has an obsession
with the human body as something vulnerable. As Julia feeds Frank
blood, he gradually goes from little more than a skeleton to a nearly
fully-formed person without any skin. It’s explained through
dialogue that his capacity for human sensation is returning gradually
as he restores his body. He’s effectively a vampire, stealing not
only the blood of his victims, but their bodies, and their very
capacity to feel.
The visuals of the film are stunning.
The Cenobites embody every form of depravity and self-harm, in such a
way that we as the audience understand their “pleasures,” while
still being horrified by them. We all have our own unsavory desires,
and we fear that in the twisted logic of the Cenobites’ minds, we
might be calling them.
I know I haven't mentioned Doug Bradley
here, but that's because Pinhead in this movie acts largely as the
spokesman for the Cenobites. His portrayal is good, but it wasn't
until later that he took center-stage. In fact, in much of the
franchise his presence is secondary.
I strongly recommend this film, but the
same is true of anything associated with Clive Barker. The man is a
genius, and it’s a shame that he didn’t direct more movies.
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