Guillotine

As protagonists go, a 17th century execution apparatus is a unique one. But it really would be accurate to say that the biggest star in Guillotine – a five-part anthology feature – is the titular killing machine that, as the film shows, features as the instrument of some of the most notorious monsters and regimes throughout history.

 

The film is broken into 5 phases, each focusing on seminal moments in the history of the guillotine, from its concept and creation in France under the reign of Louis XVI, through utilisation as weapon of terror in Nazi Germany, all the way to an instrument of torture at the hands of Saddam Hussein’s maniacal children during the fall of Iraq. At each stage the presence of the guillotine exists to torment and terrify, but it is the hand of the people in charge of it that represent its true evil.

 

Guillotine is an original concept for a film that is unfocused but never short of entertaining. Narrated by Sean Young, this whistle-stop tour of some of history’s most infamous moments is lively, energetic, bloody and even quite comedic in moments. Historical accuracy be damned, this is anything but a dour rundown, but one more akin to a macabre and twisted edition of Horrible Histories – and definitely not for the kids.

 

The highlight is the film’s opening in France, where Laurent Andruet’s Dr. Guillotin designs his eponymous machine as a cleaner way of executing dissidents. He is none too pleased when it comes to share his name, after John Fantasia’s unhinged Louis XVI is convinced that putting his own royal seal on the new head-chopping method of choice may not endear him to his subjects, despite his eagerness to begin its use. Fantasia’s performance stands out in a film that is packed with strong individual showings, and is a fine example of filmmakers knowing that sometimes the most important ingredient in bringing history to life is fun.

 

Conversely the final segment in Iraq is a misfire. Perhaps Uday and Qusay Hussein are too contemporary for figures to really extract much fun from, but both tonally and visually the scenes set in their torture chamber are dark, depressing and void of the drama that permeates elsewhere in the film’s 5 acts. The resolution of this scene steers into fan-fiction, as US troops arrive to dish out justice the American way, and ends on a note so cheesy it belongs in the French portion of the film.

 

The film looks fantastic outside of the final segment – each of the prior four acts carry their own visual style that makes the whole film a treat to watch and remain engaged with. It is paced to perfection, with no segment outstaying its welcome and abiding by the principle of less being more. And the guillotine’s presence itself is handled uniquely across the film, acting as a horrifying tower of destruction in some moments and a tool at the hands of evil in others.

 

A selective history of the guillotine may feel like a flimsy spine for a feature length film, but Guillotine largely makes up for it through energetic pacing, memorable performances and decisive desire to make history exciting. It probably isn’t getting cited in any history books anytime soon, but the fun audiences will have means that even historians won’t be losing their head over that.

Guillotine is currently available on VOD on Amazon Prime in the USA/UK/Ireland.