Film Review: The Last Supper (Saigo No Bansan) 2005

A plastic surgeon keeps an online diary of his exploits as a cannibal, escalated to the point that he now only eats the flesh of freshly killed young women. One taste of his special cuisine is enough to cause obsession. Unfortunately for the young women he targets, so is his occupation and good looks. They'll do anything to satisfy the plastic surgeon for all the major stars, even die at his hands.

The Last Supper (Saigo no bansan) doesn't cover very much new ground at all. All the major surprises and shocks have been seen before in films as varied as American Psycho and A Bucket of Blood. The color scheme seems to be lifted straight from an Argento giallo, with rich hues placed in unusual locations to open the mind to the bizarre world of novelist Kei Oishi. This film is all about the style, though the substance is handled very nicely.

The effects are the biggest shortcoming of the film, though only in a few small areas. Much of the dissection and butchering of the victims appears very realistic, filmed to emphasize the deep crimson dripping over the expensive white outfits of the surgeon. There are many loving shots of intestines and falling limbs that wouldn't be out of place in a cooking program when the chef unveils the completed dish straight from the oven. While the close-ups of decapitated heads look quite good, the actual murders are average at best. The blood flow is inconsistent and the practical effects preceding could easily ruin the mood with close examination.

What sets The Last Supper apart from its many serial killer predecessors is the style. Style is the entire purpose of the film. A introverted plastic surgeon becomes obsessed with the human body, to the point of consuming flesh retrieved from operations. Much like a surgery addict, he wants whatever improvement he can obtain for his process, eventually leading to murder. The victims are gorgeous women enthralled with the idea of the handsome plastic surgeon praising their beauty. His professional visage permits him to go through with his practices unnoticed, for who could imagine any man, let alone a renowned surgeon, becoming a cannibal in this day and age? The latest in sleek interior design, architecture, electronics, and fashion are in a constant battle against the inherent flaws of the human body, only truly meeting at the dinner table of the surgeon in the film.

The Last Supper is a stylish serial killer film, though one that doesn't necessarily break a lot of new ground. It's well made, well acted, and beautiful to watch.

The film is available on a US DVD release from MTI Home Video, featuring the option between English subtitles and English dubbing.