Lifespan

Lifespan (1974), the debut film of Alexander Whitelaw (who also produced and co-wrote the script), is the kind of film that easily falls through the cracks because it was wrongly promoted as a horror film starring Klaus Kinski (1926-1991). But Kinski is only on the periphery and although the film contains morbid elements it is not typical of the horror genre. Of the few reviewers who deigned to give it ink many also gave it the kiss of death by referring to it as "slow." But, in the words of my exceptional film history professor Bruce Kawin; there is a huge difference between "boring" in the sense of that which wastes your time and "boring" in the sense of that which probes ever deeper. As an arthouse film exhibitor I can say that Lifespan feels like a film that could have been championed by independent film programmers who would appreciate the difference, as the film is both earnest and evocative, if not for the dubbing. In Mondo Macabro's dvd release Pete Tombs says that "Undoubtedly, had Lifespan been in a 'foreign' language and subtitled for English it would have been placed in that same arthouse category. Nowadays, the films' dubbed voices give it a distinctly 'Euro-cult' appeal. This works to its advantage with a contemporary audience, placing it beside titles like Harry Kümel's Daughters of Darkness, with which it shares a cinematographer in Eddie van der Enden and an actor in Fons Rademakers." What also works to the film's advantage is that no matter what genre viewers wish to assign this film, it is serious, contemplative, and also a bit lyrical and strange. Anxious to meet acclaimed gerontologist Dr. Linden (Eric Schneider), American Dr. Ben Land (Hiram Keller) travels to a conference in Amsterdam only to find his hopes vexed by Linden's subsequent suicide. Land's obsession with Linden is motivated by the fact that Linden seemed to be on the verge of a significant breakthrough, possibly one that might slow, stop, or even reverse the biological clock. Although Land finds himself in a strange city and living in a dead man's apartment, he can't help but go even further by becoming involved with that same dead mans' mistress, Anna (Tina Aumont), and then really going beyond the pale in ways that are directly reminiscent of Dr. Frankenstein. The zeal and single-mind with which Land pursues Linden's ghost and endeavor is a detail that might strike all but those afflicted with some form of obsessive-compulsive disorder as somewhat implausible. On the other hand, it's easy to imagine how the subject of immortality might make even the most well-anchored character suddenly act like somebody with an O.C.D. of the highest degree. Klaus Kinski has a walk-on role as a Swedish pharmaceutical magnate who is eager to push Land into a Faustian bargain. Kinski's cameos are but a small part of the proceedings but he does manage to squeeze in some trademark manic and kinky shenanigans. In dissecting some of the main attributes that makes Lifespan different three items come to the forefront, beginning with off-screen narration by Dr. Lamb (a convention associated with film noir and many literary mysteries), followed by the attentive cinematography of Amsterdam (picked by Whitelaw because of its ancient Venice-like quality and also because of its exotic appeals), and then, ultimately, the pitch and tone that were arrived at by both music (via an abbreviated soundtrack provided by Terry Riley, whose minimalism was an influence on Philip Glass and who later forged a lasting association with the Kronos Quartet) combined with Whitelaw's realization that if he was going to make a film that mattered it would have to be about something that really affected him. Being a privileged white male who wasn't being oppressed by any particular group or system, he decided to tackle the one big beast that truly threatened his existence: mortality. His pursuit of this line of thinking leads to some interesting choices that naturally intersected with Amsterdam, such as a scene at the Anne Frank house, where a father tells his children about the horrors of the Nazis while Dr. Land spies on Annes' house (and later dreams of Dr. Linden doing Nazi-like experiments on elder folks). Land will tell his lover "I'm not going to kill old people, Anna." But his obsession definitely muddies the water. Mando Macabro's dvde release of Lifespan includes an "About the Film" essay by Pete Tombs, an interview with director Sandy Whitelaw, a director's audio commentary (were among many things he talks about some experiences with Polanski and Kinski, and which is facilitated by Pete Tombs), trailer, stills galleries (both color and b&w, as well as a few of Terry Riley's soundtrack recording session), and "more from Mondo Macabro." For more information about Lifespan, visit Mondo Macabro. To order Lifespan, go to TCM Shopping. by Pablo Kjolseth