Anatomy (2000) Starring Franka Potente, Benno Fürmann, Anna Loos, Sebastian Blomberg, Holger Speckhahn, 99 minutes,
4.6/10 (46 votes)
About the Movie: The German thriller Anatomy is a Grand Guignol display of medical horror, dwelling on dissected flesh and body organs in jars. Paula (Franka Potente, the star of Run Lola Run) is a smart young medical student with a lot of family history: her grandfather is a celebrated surgeon and her father runs a low-income medical clinic. An award-winning essay gets her into a prestigious university, known for a strict but brilliant professor of anatomy. On the train to school, Paula saves the life of a punk rocker with a heart problem--only to find this same young man on her dissecting table a few weeks later in anatomy class. Her investigations into this coincidence lead her to discover an underground society of doctors who pursue medical research at all costs, and who sometimes give interesting medical specimens a little nudge on their way to death. Despite a clunky script, Anatomy has a slick look and some gruesome moments. Potente has an engaging presence and is surrounded by a good-looking young cast. This is pretty much a German version of movies like Final Destination, Urban Legend, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, and anyone who's a fan of those flicks will find much to enjoy here as well. --Bret Fetzer
