In a dystopian, or is that draconian… hell let’s just say it’s both… anyway, in a dystopian/draconian era, Flora (Yelena Ferrer) spends her time playing organ in a titanic, seemingly abandoned church… well that, and hooking Chi (Sui Nakashima) up to a scanner cum torture device called Goda, and grilling her for info, as well as playing armchair therapist to her victim.
Naturally the two fall in love, much to the chagrin of Flora’s superior, General Stewart Bailey (Ravin Patterson) who maims Flora with the ol’ cigarette to the putrid peeper bag! Anyway, things come to a head, and soon the two find themselves at the mercy of Satanic mother fucker Lord Goody (Bruce Hermann), but is all hope really lost?
The Song of Her is one delicious slice of sinister short film (this picture runs about 21 minutes) perfection! Coming off as a bit like a “What if Bram Stoker wrote 1984?” affair, this flick is a deft blend of Gothic imagery and low-tech police state potboiler that swirls and gels into a tale of pleasure and pain (and the incestuous relationship between the two), socio-political commentary, and good ol’ rock solid world building that presents the viewer with a world we sure as hell wouldn’t want to live in, but is fascinating to tarry in… well, we mostly don’t live in this world anyhow…
All of the above comes in a wonderfully chiaroscuro package, as writer/director Rodney Ferrer presents this yarn in gorgeous black and white, which gives the world presented a cold, industrial feel… even if the dilapidated environs are peppered with stained glass windows, pipe organs, and naked flesh.
There is also a wickedly wonderful horror undertone to this story, as Goody may be the Devil (or an agent thereof), a vampire, or some unholy combination of the two. Regardless, he’s a demonic dude not to be fucked with lightly, and the mere mention of his name early in the film creates an almost urban legend vibe to his very existence. It was a well done bit of mythology, and made the third act all the more tension-packed!
Bottom line, The Song of Her is a fantastic lil’ fright flick filled to the brim with thoughtful BDSM overtones, plenty of ‘old, dark house’ ambiance, and a nice jolt of Orwellian paranoia!
*The Song of Her plays Sunday, September 27th as part of the Mr. HoleHead’s Warped Dimension film festival’s Dark Rainbow short film showcase!
