The Forbidden is one of two short films that horror writer Clive Barker made before he went on to create his masterpiece 'Hellraiser'. This film follows along pretty much the same lines as the man's first short, Salome, as it's the atmosphere, music and setting that is the point; with plot, characters and dialogue being completely forsaken. The film reminded me a lot of Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou", as it's very atmospheric and surreal throughout. While this is pretty much more of the same, I have to say that I slightly preferred Barker's first short film to this one. The Forbidden is overlong by a good ten to twenty minutes, and many of the sequences in the film - while striking and memorable - are simply repeats of things we've already seen, which annoyed me no end. The film also features a sequence that sees a naked man dancing, which I wouldn't be a fan of anyway; but the fact that it goes on for about ten minutes makes the film even less fun. Still, there's lot to like about this film as it shows many things that appear to be blueprints for Hellraiser, and the effects and atmosphere are eerie enough to make sure that the film always succeeds on an aesthetic level. Like Salome; this isn't a masterpiece or a must-see, but if you liked Hellraiser and get a chance to see this - you might as well take it.
Review of The Forbidden
