Martin (1976)

 

Martin (1976)

 

Serial Killers are real, but fiction about them is very often placed in the Genre of Horror, so within the realm of Fantastic fiction, instead of presumably Realistic Crime Genre. It’s probably because their brand of Radical Evil shocks our sense of Reality and these real Beast enter the realm of the Classic Era Universal Monsters.

 

In more Realist Filmmaking we can understand corruption – an Innocent child falls into drugs, becomes desperate, and commits Horrific Crimes to support his Habit; in a Revenge film there are Rationally articulable Motives; that’s also of Crime based on Material Gain; or the flash of Blind Rage that shocks the Killer as much as the Witnesses. All those are Evil, but how can we understand the Evil of those who Kill only because they like Hunting Humans? That’s impenetrable. So yes, Serial Killers are real, but they still seem Fantastic at the same time.

“Martin” does a rare thing, its Serial Killer is a Parody of the media’s more Grandiose ones, and more Realistic than they at the same time. Few Filmmakers did make intelligent attempts to penetrate the impenetrable but these attempts were especially rare before the 1986 (there was a sea change trigger by the releases of both “Manhunter” and “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer”). Also, some of the earlier masterpieces in the attempt, like "Psycho" and "Peeping Tom" (both 1960), did hit on some Psychological Truths, do not hold up well when tested against later-evolving Forensic Psychology; they are too deliciously contrived in their architecture of Madness and too reliant on paint-by-numbers pseudo-Freudianism. Only a few landmarks in the dissection of this Monster were solidly grounded in realism before the Reagan Administration (that was a correlation, not a causation, or at least I think so): Fritz Lang got a lot closer than most in "M" (1931) which was as much about the Radical Evil of the rising Fascist state was it was about the pitiable Child-Killer at its center. "Targets" (1968) deftly contrasted a burgeoning Spree Killer, who is carefully hiding his Fetishistic attraction Power that Violent Anarchy promises, with Campy Movie Horrors generation, personified by Boris Karloff, who is forced to confront Killer in the final scene. "The Boston Strangler" (also 1968) is much admired for its presentation of the title Character, but I must admit I've not seen it. "The Honey Monn Killers" (1970) is one of cinema's great explorations of Obsessive and Corrosive Love. "Badlands" (1973) convincingly places the Killer's Inexplicable Actions in the context of his environment. Not surprisingly, all these were based-on or heavily-inspired-by True-Crimes, though only a few felt the need for and significant Fidelity to the known Facts. 

Irony upon ironies, “Martin’s” surprising stab at better-than-average Psychologic Realism relies on the most contrived of all Contrivances, the Supernatural Vampire Myth, but it told us more about the man behind the Monster than virtually any film that came before it. It should not be considered a surprise that it came from George Romero, his career rests on the firm foundation of "Nigh of the Living Dead" (1968) where he took a Supernatural Monster, the Zombie, stripped it of most of it Magic, and let it lose in a World far in a contemporary and far more Realistic seeming than in most other Genre films of the time when the majority of notable Horror films were Period-Piece confections with deliciously opulent sets and costuming.

　
Here, Romero has stripped the Magic away even more, and made the setting even more Realistically common. And he gives us a title character who is a Monster of Myth who behaves more like a Real-World the Serial Rapist and Killer. And Romero keeps us intimate with the Monster’s daily life like no other film and as a result we begin to see that Radical Evil isn’t so Radical after all.

 

The title character, Martin (John Amplas), starts the film Stalking, Assaulting, Drugging, Raping, and then Killing a woman on a train. There is no hint of anything Supernatural, not even the blood drinking, wherein he uses a razor blade.

 

It’s quite explicit, the cutting and bleeding was the first professional job by the now legendary FX Make-Up Artist Tom Savini. As an Audience member you probably knew that this was a Vampire film before you sat down but so far there’s no indication that this is anything other than a more-explicit-than-average Crime Drama. Importantly, Martin has yet to speak, and his facial features and expression don’t look as Predatory as he acts, he in fact seems a bit uncomfortable in what he’s doing.

When he exits the train, we are introduced to a Character who is weirder at a glance than our unimpressive-looking Vampire; he is eventually identified as Martin’s uncle Tata Cuda (Lincoln Maazel). Tata wordlessly Dominates the younger Martin who follows behind him at a submissive distance through the Economic Ruin of a dying, Working Class Suburb of Philadelphia. Those familiar with the Horror Genre would assume that Martin is the Human Minion of a powerful Master Vampire who had Enslaved and Debased the boy with the promise of Immortality.

Nope.

 

Martin proves is an insecure teenager with terrible Delusions, he believes he is an 84-year-old vampire and that he must drink human blood to stay alive; as the film is constantly under-lining that there is no Magic, leaving Mental Illness as the only option. Martin has no mesmerizing power, no aversion to Daylight, Garlic or Religious Icons. One-by-one the trimmings of Myth fall away though Martin does have flashbacks to his experiences in the Old-Country in the 19^th c; these are filmed in B&W and are more traditionally Romantic and Gothic representations of the Vampire, full of flaming torches, brandished crucifixes, and bodice-bursting beauties bearing candelabra; but they serve only to more starkly underline the chasm who Martin in the Economically Depressed 20th c. They are obviously his Fantasies, not his real Memories.

As Martin grapples with his Murderous Delusions, we see him do normal things like running errands for his uncle's store, going to Church, playing with small children he encounters on the street. The action in his Home Environment is languidly-paced. His extended family, most of whom we never see, are a mixture of Immigrants and First-Generation Americans, and they are aware of his Delusion, though probably not his Crimes, and seem to fall into two Camps represented by the only two members were are introduced to:　

Tata is Religious Fanatic whose Superstitions reinforce Martin’s Fantasies. In his first, thickly accented, diatribe, he says Martin has inherited a Family Curse. He claims he was forced to take Martin in to make stop the Curse spreading farther through the family. "Vampire, first I will save your soul then I will destroy you ... You may come and go, but you will not take people from the city. If I hear of it a single time, I will destroy you without salvation!"

Then there is Christina (Christine Forrest) a Modernist who Pities him, thinks the poor boy needs a Mental Health Professional; she’s films sole voice of Reason, but an ineffectual one. In one of her memorable outbursts, she scolds Tata, "Do you know I heard about this my entire life? Sometimes I even start thinking that I'm gonna believe all that bullshit!"

Martin vs Tata echoes Dracula vs Van Helsing conflict, but there are important differences. Here, Dracula is weak, but proves surprisingly likable despite being a Violent Sexual Deviant; meanwhile Van Helsing proves himself dislikable, despite being the Defender of Morals and not being the Murdering Rapist of the pair. Incrementally, Martin learns to defy Tata, and in doing so find his voice. As he speaks, he thinks, and he starts pointing out the absurdities of the Superstitions, but Tragically he still clings to them.　

There’s some amusing, and also heart-rending, bits when Martin takes advantage of the anonymity of a radio-talk-show call-in to try to dispel the "Myths" about Vampires to a host who clearly doesn’t take him seriously. This becomes a semi-narration, and during it Martin articulates his Emotional Landscape with greater honesty than anyone else in the film.

The radio-talk-show host is voiced by cinematographer Michael Gornick, and Romero and Savini also appear in small roles. Christine Forrest was Romero’s then wife, and the rest of the cast are unrecognizable to audiences and have few other film credits in IMDB. This is an indication of how shoe-string this budget was, typical of Romero’s early work, and even some of his later outings. Yes, these films often have awkward Performances, but always believable ones, and in Romero’s films, the grounding of the Realities strengthens the story always more than the Artistry of the Cast. Moreover, Amplas as Martin is exceptional, he’s sensitive, sympathetic and moving; his gentle demeanor is always at odds with his Monstrous acts. He starts the film shy and introverted and Tata dominates him, but he wins the Audience over as he learns to smirk at the nonsensical nature of it all.　

 

As the movie progresses, it is even hinted he may be able to rise above his Delusions. Despite an evolved methodology that suggests he’s been killing for a while, he isn’t actually very good at this Human-Hunting thing, as demonstrated it a hilarious sequence when he stalks a woman in her own home, thinking she’s alone because her husband has left. When he bursts in on her, she’s with another man, Martin hadn’t considered the possibility of an Extramarital Affair complicating the Assault. He’s out-numbered, and should’ve been caught, but the two people fighting for their lives distract themselves from the business at hand by arguing about how they will they call the Police without exposing the Infidelity. And when Marin gets the upper hand again, he feels Sympathy, and can’t bring himself to kill.

His way out appears to be through Mrs. Santini (Elayne Nadeau), a self-proclaimed "complaining old housewife," who hires Martin to do odd jobs and then proceeds to Sexually pursue him. Part of her attraction to him is his seemingly non-threatening non-verbal-ness, "That's why you're so nice to have around Martin; you don't have opinions." She compares talking to him to talking to a cat. But he does finally start talking, gradually confessing to being too shy to do ‘sexy stuff’ with girls if they are conscious. Finally, with Mrs. Santini help, he enters into his first Consensual, Adult Relationship.　

And then he defies Tata directly. After Tata arranges an Exorcism that is hilariously botched by an unbelieving Priest (that’s Romero) Martin jumps Tata in a night-darkened playground. Martin is in full Vampire Costume – the only point in the film outside his Fantasies that he’s dressed this way – face a ghostly white, long cape swirling around, as Tata, on the ground, clings to his rosary and prays for his life. Martin leans over and reveals his fangs...

And then bursts out laughing and walks away.　

 

Enraged Tata hits Martin in the back with his cane. Martin catches the cane, spits his fangs out (they’re store-bought fakes), smears his white face paint, and proudly mocks Cuda, "It's just a costume."

The most dangerous territory this film travels is how much affection it asks us to have for its Anti-Hero. In Fantastic film, the Monster is often sympathetic, Vampires are often Tragic Figures, Werewolves even more so. The Myths become Metaphors of our Fears of not being in charge of our own Compulsions. It’s totally OK to like Lon Chaney, Jr as "The Wolfman" (1941) or Gary Oldman as "Dracula" (1992) more than either’s Victims or Avengers. This film’s veneer of Realism makes it clear that we are our own Monsters, not so far from those Serial Killers, an that’s an unacceptable idea. It’s like being sympatric to Hitler. We prefer to offer our sympathies on to those Innocence-defiling Monsters that be Phantasms than those might meet on the street or even be inside ourselves.

Romero makes his Vampire wholly human, and then makes a plea for him to be treated with Compassion; but likable Martin is still a Serial Rapist and Murderer, the lowest among Deviants – could we, as an Audience, tolerate his Self-Reform? Though Romantic Love and Spreading One’s Wings and escaping the family nest is supposed to be virtuous, does it make amends?

 

That idea is not only immoral, it’s absurd. Even this bold, taboo-breaking, film won’t cross that line.

Throughout, it Cast a Cold Eye on the nature of Humanity, and the ending is its bleakest statement; though it is heavily fore-shadowed, when it comes it is sudden and shocking.

During its initial release, "Martin" received none of the Critical or Audience attention it deserved. It was saved by the Midnight Movie Circuit, which led it to get a glowing, if belated, review in TIME magazine sometime in the early 1980s (which is where I first heard of this film). Over time it has been come to be recognized as one of Romero’s finest works, and is said to be his personal favorites. Its influence was never as great as his Zombie films, which spawned a now inescapable, Mega-Budgeted, Genre of their own, but among low-budget independent filmmakers, "Martin" still ripples, probably most obviously in "The Addiction" (1995) and "Habit" (1997) both of which ground the Vampirism in Realistic contemporary settings with almost no Supernatural trimmings, and focus on Vampirism as a metaphor of Self-Destructive Addiction.

 

Trailer:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJD4ZKPYlHw