Illustrated Films takes a unique view at Sexuality

Bryan Davis (left) stars with Daniel May in 'Psychopathia Sexualis.' (photo courtesy Kino Int.)

"Psychopathia utilized the talents of about half the actors and screen artists in Atlanta," says writer & director Bret Wood. "It was a true communal effort, so we're glad that we will all be able to watch it together and see what came of all that hard work."

Wood, who stumbled across the medical text while researching another script entitled The Perverse in 2004, became drawn to the material.

"The truth in this medical text was stranger than any fiction I could ever write, so I decided to focus my energy on it instead. I thought the episodic nature of Krafft-Ebing's book (separated into [more than] 230 case histories) would be an unusual way to structure a film, but never stopped to consider the logistical nightmare of making essentially fifteen short films, each with its own set of actors, costumes and settings."

The movie, set at the turn of the century, chronicles various case studies including sadism, masochism, blood drinking, necrophilia and many others.  The varying stories are intercut with each other for maximum effect while a doctor played by Bryan Davis narrates before later becoming a central character.

The elaborate production design and wardrobe are among the high points of the film.

"I would never have thought it possible to make a turn-of-the-century costume drama in Atlanta on such a small budget," recounts Wood, "however (producer) Tracy Martin was able to engage top-notch artists, such as costumer Sean Patton and hair and wig designer Montgomery Schuth."

Producer Tracy Martin, who has previously collaborated with Wood on various shorts and stage productions, has found synergy in their professional partnership.

"That's almost more important than the script," says Martin, "so I said yes without hesitation when asked to produce the movie."

"When I read the script," Martin continues, "I recognized immediately what Bret wanted to convey and that Psychopathia was also an opportunity to create both a visually stunning and a very unique film.

"However, when Bret gave me a copy of the book Psychopathia Sexualis, I think that's when I became really drawn to the project, because I was amazed to find how some of us are as unchanged with our views toward sexual behavior as we were two centuries ago. The film gave us an opportunity to explore that aspect of the subject matter while attempting to create something incredibly different."

The unique project attracted many talented cast and crew members.  Buzz was created by posting stills on Illustrated Films' website about the movie allowing people to view the progress of the film.

Daniel May in 'Psychopathia Sexualis' (photo courtesy Kino Int.)

The intense musical score by Paul Mercer really sets the mood for the film.  "Bret and I both couldn't imagine working with anyone else, Paul's music has a wailing melancholic tone that accentuates the subject matter flawlessly."

With a background in producing classic silent films on DVD, predominantly German ones, Bret Wood used this experience to bring a strikingly visual style to this movie, "I love the fact that they are not as concerned about the plot as they are in the visual styling of the film.

"I didn't want to expressly mimic silent films (with imitation scratches and filters designed to make an image look weathered). Instead I wanted to speak the language of early cinema, but speak it through the very contemporary medium of digital video. I give most of the credit to director of photography David Bruckner, lighting designer Jonathan Hilton and gaffer Dave Ganczewski for creating such striking, textured images. It's not 19th-century Vienna, but an otherworldly dreamland... the perfect setting for these strange medico-sexual fairy tales."

"The film has gotten widely mixed reactions," reports Wood. "Some people adore it, while others are merely perplexed by it. But that's fine. It's definitely not a movie for the multiplex... but it was never intended to be.

"It was conceived and produced to be a strange and unique little picture that looks at deviant sexual behavior through Victorian eyes... to revisit a time when any sexual behavior beyond heterosexual monogamy was considered either ‘abnormal' or ‘unnatural,' and carried with it the threat of moral damnation and institutionalization. We wanted to restore to sex a sense of gravity and mystery... to remind people what sin used to feel like."

Psychopathia Sexualis has week-long play dates in June in New York, Seattle and Chicago and opens in Portland, Oregon the night of their Atlanta Film Festival screening.  For more information you can visit their website at: http://www.illustratedfilms.com/

Dave R. Watkins is a actor, writer & filmmaker living in North Georgia.