Redundant and unnecessary.

One of my all time favorites.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I'm rarely moved to comment on movies and books because others have generally already expressed everything I have to say. No need to repeat.However, this movie is so appallingly bad that it deserves every terrible review we can collectively muster.As a documentary, it fails. Too many inaccuracies, too much left out, too many things left unexplained. The man whose interview answers are interspersed throughout was not directly involved in any of it and had nothing new to contribute. The narration, delivered in all its monotone glory, is insipid and adds no insight. Of course, despite purporting to convey a true story, it's not billed as a documentary so I suppose you could forgive the faults. But seriously, this is laughably inaccurate.As a horror film, it fails. Mostly because it's too long by at least 2 hours, has no momentum and is, frankly, boring. Yes, the experimentation scenes are graphic. But there are only a handful of them – maybe one every 20 minutes? - so this can't even qualify as a gore fest. Besides, the effects are amateurish at best, and no self-respecting horror fan would be impressed. The infamous tooth-pulling scene is shockingly fake. There are numerous lengthy scenes of prisoners sitting around waiting – is Iskanov trying to create suspense? I have this bad habit of doggedly finishing a book or a movie I really don't like or actively loathe, just because I hate leaving something unfinished. I don't usually regret this because it's a conscious decision and I feel I have a better idea of the work as a whole if I actually finish watching or reading it. I regret wasting my time with this movie.It was some of the most self-indulgent dreck I've ever come across. Iskanov's repetitive use of silent snow-falling-on-gray-building scenes were maddening. I started timing them, and they ranged from about 2 to 6 minutes, making them ideal for bathroom breaks, walking the dog or fixing a sandwich. If you wanted to skip over the Russian guy's interview scenes too, you'd have enough time for a solid power nap.Actually, don't bother with it at all. Then you don't have to mess with fast forwarding and all that.

I found this movie on Netflix. All I was told in the synopsis of the movie was that it was based on true events and was half movie and half documentary about biological and chemical warfare being developed/tested in a place called Unit 731. I didn't even know when I started watching it that it was 2 parts (4 hours)long until I got to the last scene of part 1 which is of a naked woman strapped down with her legs spread wide open and a creepy sicko doctor inserting a cockroach into her vagina! That was the end for me, I won't be moving on to part 2. If you like your movies sick and twisted, watch it, otherwise I'd advise you to find something else. And if you're curious about the events at Unit 731 do some internet searches and learn about it that way. Everything else has been said about this movie so there's no more reason to go on about it.

As soon as I heard about this film I snagged a copy and watched it in all it's atrocious glory! I love Iskanov's work and I knew that he would do an incredible job with this subject.I had seen other films about Unit 731 and had been unimpressed. They always seemed to come off campy or simply lacked the seriousness of the subject. Iskanov's film does the subject justice and then some (but the film is not overdone...all 4-1/2 hours of it).In fact Iskanov captures the true horror of it all by simply reducing it to what it is...torture. Iskanov, although known for his visual sensory overload (in a good way), shows the restraint and control of a world-class director.There aren't a whole lot of films made about the atrocities of Japanese unit 731 and this one is not likely to be topped.Watch this film with caution as it will change your life, if even just slightly.

I love Andrey Iskanov's other works such as Nails and Visions of Suffering and find Philosophy of a Knife along the same lines. While yes this movie is disturbing, graphic and based on real events I am amazed at the backlash the movie and Andrey have gotten.Unlike other reviewers I knew what this movie was about going in. Yes there was a documentary aspect to it, part documentary and some historical footage which I thought helped connect the film as a whole, ramming it home even more that this was based on a true story. I am not sure what kind of movie others were expecting. Maybe they did not listen to the beginning interview or have not heard about Unit 731 before, or even seen Andrey's other works. I find the attack on actors and special effects ludicrous. How do you expect people to act in this scenario? Most of the special effects were very good in my opinion. There were some that could have been done better but that is the way it is and to me has no relevance to the movie as a whole. This movie was made in a certain style and is not your Hollywood pumped out generic horror crap or cookie cutter work. One reviewer even said it was a horrible movie because the actress had a Brazilian which apparently the character would not have at the time. Out of everything that is going on in that movie, the pain, cruelty, and deadening of humanity he focuses on that... I would go ahead and watch and listen to the quick interview at the beginning of the movie which answers all the questions other posters are missing. Yes it's not for everyone and for me its even hard to say I enjoyed it because it was very disturbing. My rant is over...