Pontypool

Pontypool is perhaps the most intellectually-stimulating horror film I have seen. Actually, so far, the only one at that, since Suicide Circle promised to be one but dismally failed (see review for Suicide Circle for further explanation of my general dislike and distaste for its non-message).


At first I had problems accepting the premise of Pontypool's language virus because of the objections I had, especially with the virus singling out the English language as the mode of transmission, because dynamics-wise this would presuppose that the English language exists with special codes unique only to itself to effectively foster and contain the virus considering the formation and evolution of languages (shared origins aka etymologies with other languages). This main premise was the obstacle between me and my enjoyment and total surrender to the experience of the film. This objection to the premise from the argument of the nature of the English language was quelled with a brief conversation with Sir Andrew, who happens to sit a few chairs from my seat in class, halfway through the film, with him mentioning the fact that the spread may be accounted for considering that language is unique in its particularity in terms context, allowing for the virus to spread via the English language of that particular context (historical and geographical) accounting for the specificity that the virus spread and its isolation. Getting this initial objection aside, I opened myself up to the intellectual insights the film offered.

Of all the insights the film shared, one that would stick most and I would find contributing to the factor that made the film one of my all-time horror favorites now is the insight on meaning and meaning-decoding of language. The intriguing situation of having to decode words of their meaning and encoding this meaning into another in hopes of (for the film narrative, cure the language and the patient of the virus) getting into the essence of the object mediated by the word is promising, posing questions as to whether our understanding of the world and its essence (similarly of the things in this world, tangible or abstarct, and their essences) is marred by our overdependence on the words or the language that mediates them for us, having the words/language finally taking on more significance than the actual object itself. The considerations and possibilities transported me back to the joys of my past Intro to Communication and Intro to Media Studies classes.

For this and a gamut of other reasons, I consider Pontypool as one of the best, if not the best, horror film shown in my Horror film class!