Pathology - Game of Death
Thoughts On: Pathology (2008)
A med student is pulled into a dark game by his fellow students.
Pathology is an intriguing film engaging what it claims to be all that is human beyond the soul. It is therefore an amoral exploration of knowledge in death that sees a group of pathology students playing a game, competing against each other to see who can commit murders without being caught. This is then a film that deals with the cold consciousness of humanity, its ability to scheme and prod at dark inclinations. It presents this group of students' descent into self-righteous evil as a result of them essentially staring into the parabolic dark void, and having it staring back to see them weak. With the power of knowledge of death, therefore the knowledge of how to disguise the cause of victims' demise, these group of students become corrupted, using their power to satisfy the lowest urges of their unconscious. The main character surmises this well. When asked if he could kill anyone and get away with it, he answered he'd not choose to target anyone specifically, believing that murder is a base inclination that disregards humanity. Murder (especially inconsequential murder) is done for murder's sake; if one wants to freely kill, it does not matter who (it's whoever they can get away with doing it to).
The drama of Pathology sees a strange juxtaposition emerge between pointless and justifiable murder. To the students, murder begins as a game. However, our main character is pulled into this game in being deceived; he is lead to believe he can kill someone evil (who abused their own daughter) in a morally acceptable way. However, in discovering that the game of death is a meaninglessly cathartic outlet for the corrupted leader of these students - murder for murder's sake - the main character makes his escape from the group by attempting justifiable killings. The weirdest counterpoint to emerge from this is then our main character having to perform his job as a pathologist with love; a perturbing scene in which we see him dissect a loved one as an attempt to get revenge and release the corruption from his soul. So where the film starts and spends much of its time exploring the inhuman powers that can corrupt with the knowledge of death, it tasks its main character to look into the dark void and find some light.
An edgy and provocative thriller, Pathology plays with uncommon and distasteful themes whilst attempting to retain a redemptive conclusion. It does this pretty well.
