Simply Perfect

Just perfect...

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

First and foremost, this film is not an easy one to watch and comes with a trigger warning for anyone sensitive to themes of rape and child molestation. -Spoilers-This film is centered around the character of Klaus, an ex Nazi doctor who has presumably escaped Germany after the war. We learn from the offset that Klaus has an animal-like lust for sexually torturing and killing young children. Eventually the mental strain of this becomes too much and he attempts suicide, jumping from the rooftop of his home. Unsuccessful, Klaus is confined to a giant iron and glass lung which serves as his life support as well as his prison, as he is paralysed from the neck down. His wife, Griselda, employs a young man, Angelo, to help care for Klaus. Unbeknown to her that Angelo was previously groomed by Klaus.We learn that Angelo has taken on the role of Klaus, sexually assaulting and murdering young children to appease him. He does this whilst also grooming Rena, Klaus' 7 year old daughter. -All in all when reviewing this film you need to remove your thoughts of the content and focus on how it was executed. The heavy use of blue tinting and poor lighting makes the scene feel cold and surgical in appearance. This, coupled with the portrayal of Angelo's almost emotionless character makes the film feel so much more intoxicating to watch and leaves you also speechless and cold inside as we are forced to sympathise with a paedophile. It's a film that reminds oneself of just how primal and horrific human nature can be. The ending of Rena climbing on top of the glass cage that Angelo now inhabits gives a chilling feeling of how the cycle of abuse continues, yet creating an ending that could still be argued as ambiguous. 7/10

Discriminating viewers might be excused for wishing this disturbing Spanish feature weren't so well made, because then it could be dismissed as merely gratuitous exploitation. The story concerns an aging, exiled Nazi prison camp doctor confined in a mechanical lung while his male 'nurse' tortures them both by recreating, with a mounting sense of dread and claustrophobia, the atrocities his invalid patient once performed, slowly turning their villa into his own private death camp. The style of the film is not unlike an old-fashioned monster movie, but sensitive patrons should be strongly cautioned: it confronts us with depravity in much the same way as the disturbed young Angelo confronts the helpless doctor with the crimes of his past, putting the viewer in the uncomfortable position of being a willing participant in crimes against humanity.

The only word that spontaneously comes to mind when briefly describing Agustí Villaronga's "In a Glass Cage" is … WOW! This is definitely one of the most intense and harrowing European films ever made. You're most likely to find it in the horror-sections of specialized cult stores/catalogs, but it's SO much more than just horror! It's a traumatizing post-WWII portrait, a deep psychological drama and a devastating tale about pedophilia & child murder. "In a Glass Cage" is the disturbingly cold and emotionless depiction of a former Nazi figure that escaped to Spain in time, but continues his sick rituals of kidnapping and murdering young boys there. Until one day, feelings of shame and remorse take over and Klaus (Günter Meisner) attempts to commit suicide by jumping of a high building. He survives but becomes bound to an iron lung machine and a huge burden to his unknowing wife and daughter. Then, a handsome but strange adolescent man volunteers to be Klaus' nurse. Angelo seems to know a lot about Klaus' past and unorthodox desires, yet he doesn't betray him and even offers him the chance to pick up where he left off. An odd escalation of happenings causes Angelo to turn into the most powerful person in the house AND an even bigger monster than Klaus ever was. This often shocking and uncompromising film shows, in a truly alarming style, what possibly could happen to the young and vulnerable minds of pedophilia victims. It might not sound very realistic at first, but when you think it over more carefully, it becomes frighteningly real. Angelo's heartless attitude and charisma come across exactly like those of someone whose childhood innocence was taken from him. Apart from being a truly thought-provoking piece of cinema, "In a Glass Cage" is also an impeccably made and mesmerizing stylish film. The atmosphere is creepy and sinister throughout, with depressing set pieces, sober music and monotonous camera-work. Unquestionably the most staggering piece of scenery is the large iron lung (the titular glass cage, also) that breathes for Klaus. This impressive and advanced medical device constantly produces uncanny noises and it looks like the absolute last type of machinery you want your life to depend on. It's a very original and genuinely horrifying object to feature in a tense film like this. Furthermore, there are a couple of shocking scenes that you aren't likely to see in many other films. It already requires a lot of courage to tell a story about pedophilia and child murder, so you can imagine the brutal impact of actually showing these topics graphically! Villaronga's directing is straightforward and acting performances of the entire cast are flawless and deeply moving. "In a Glass Cage" is a brilliant film, perhaps not accessible for everyone, but enormously recommended to hardcore cult fans.

"In a Glass Cage" has to be one of the most disturbing horror films ever made.The film is extremely intense and so incredibly depressing and powerful in its honest depiction of mankind's failure and instincts towards violence and sadism.The soundtrack is outstanding and the music alone will make the viewer speechless,not to speak the sound of an iron lung that has to be among the most disgusting sounds I've ever heard.The acting is excellent,but there are several truly disturbing scenes of pedophilia and child murder."In a Glass Cage" is a very difficult movie to watch,however you'll also walk away mesmerized by the disgusting beauty of this film itself.Nazi doctor Meisner abused and killed many young boys during war.After a suicide attempt he is now paralyzed and confined to an iron lung.One day,his former victim Angelo comes to work for him as a nurse.However,the revenge he has planned for the cripple is dominated by traumatic perversion.Give this overlooked masterpiece a look.10 out of 10.