Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Michael Allen
Writers: Paul Campion, Paul Finch, and Brett Ihaka.
The Devil's Rock is a film from special effects guru Paul Campion, which takes place during World War II. It is the night before D-Day (June 5, 1944) and two New Zealanders have a special mission. They must take out one of the German guns on an isolated island. However, the screams of a woman from a nearby bunker draw them down, down into the fiery depths of hell. Just like Dante in the Divine Comedy, these two Kiwis will face unimaginable horrors, in a demon's lair. Then issues of the occult pop up and Campion goes for a tried and true association of Germany with the supernatural, much like earlier films e.g. The Keep (1983), The Bunker (2001), and Outpost (2008).
The red hues and blood splattered walls signal that this is not wholly an earthly plane, as Captain Grogan (Craig Hall) and Pvt. Joe (Karlos Drinkwater) infiltrate a German bunker. Inside, they find mutilations, which can only come from the demented mind of an effect's artist. Not much later, the viewer is introduced to a charming woman who has a taste for human flesh. Beautiful on the outside, this is a demon who uses men's desires against them. The Devil's Rock is firmly set in the supernatural, but one interesting element of note is the film's use of occultism in the film.
Were Nazis really occultists? Most texts would say no, despite Hitler procuring several religious and spiritual artifacts during the war. However, equating Germans with occultism, during World War II, is a psychological trick used by some to distance themselves from true human evil. To state that Hitler and Germany were occultists allows some to disassociate from humanity's potential to enact true harm on others and to distance themselves from the possibility that such an occurrence as the Holocaust could happen again. Simply, connecting Germany with occultism makes great fiction, even if there is no historical proof of its existence.
That aside, Grogan becomes fully immersed in black magics through a quick indoctrination from the German Colonel Meyer (Matthew Sunderland). The demon grows stronger and the tension of The Devil's Rock begins early, while strengthening during the finale. The demon wants more human meals. As well, the usual pentagrams, candles, black books and blood sacrifice are here to make this truly an occult film. As well, the seduction of evil is present, but thankfully they are resisted to allow the film to stear clear of tragedy. Too bad a 1930s-'40s Germany was not able to do the same thing.
The purpose of talking about occultism in this review is simply to look at a historical context for the film. As can be seen from the excellent films listed above, equating Nazism with the occult makes for great entertainment. However, Hitler and Nazism were allowed to build in power because ordinary people turned away from doing the right thing. There was no supernatural possession or demonic forces at play. Humanity was the driving force behind evil and it is humanity, more specifically love, which overcomes some dark forces in The Devil's Rock. Thankfully, others were willing to fight for humanity and justice in one of the world's most tragic, yet still culturally influential wars.
Plot/story/characters: 7 out of 10 (great story, good characters).
Development/continuity/pacing: 8 out of 10 (the film is a little short, but everything develops quickly).
Overall: 7.5 out of 10 (an entertaining look at the occult and black magic mythos).
A short review of this title at horror news and review site Shock Till You Drop:
The Devils Rock at Shock Till You Drop
Become a fan of the film on Facebook:
The Devil's Rock at Facebook
This title is currently only available through special order (United Kingdom). Entertainment One will release this title at a later date (Canada):
The Devil's Rock at Amazon (United Kingdom, PAL)
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Posted in: evil,movie review,movie review 2011,united kingdom,world war ii
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