Faces of Death by Jennie Kermode 20491
It is a deeply ingrained instinct across the animal kingdom to focus attention on things that are disturbing or horrific, even when the focus brings distress. Understanding these raw instincts is not just a philosophical exercise; it is a fundamental requirement for self-protection. Yet, this potent human tendency has become a fertile ground for exploitation. Today, countless individuals seek to capitalize on this natural curiosity, whether by selling products, pushing specific political ideologies, or simply inflating their own ego.
For those born after the mid-eighties, the concept of a world before the internet seems almost mythical. Before the ubiquity of digital access, certain kinds of knowledge were exceptionally difficult to uncover or access. In mainstream societies, particularly the UK and the US, a powerful social taboo surrounded death, resulting in a near-total avoidance of viewing dead bodies.
This pervasive societal silence extended even to media representation. While people could witness the visceral reality of war through footage or documentaries, editors typically exercised careful restraint, deliberately omitting or softening the presentation of the moment of death itself. This created a vacuum—an unaddressed space where the full reality of mortality and violence remained largely unexamined.
Into this unacknowledged space arrived the 1978 film, Faces Of Death. This cinematic work entered the public consciousness, acting as a powerful intervention. By masterfully mixing carefully staged scenes with editorial outtakes, the film dared to confront the uncomfortable truths that society preferred to ignore, forcing viewers to grapple with the realities that are often deliberately hidden.
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