Faces of Death

After an unsuccessful open-heart surgery, pathologist Francis B. Gröss explains his fascination with the transitional periods of life and death, presenting his dream as a gateway to understanding them. He has gathered footage to study the 'faces of death' from multiple angles, including medical, psychological, and philosophical viewpoints. The scene sets up the documentary-style exploration that follows.

Footage shows a violent encounter where an alligator kills a man, framed as retaliation by a creature scarred by human abuse. Gröss uses these images to contrast nature's indifference with human motives, calling attention to the brutality of life and death. The sequence broadens the scope from medicine to the raw brutality of the natural world.

The film presents a montage of assassinations and interviews, including François Jordan admitting he kills only for payment, not political goals. Gröss questions whether there can be thoughts or justifications behind such acts, challenging viewer assumptions about motive. The segment frames humans as capable of violence independent of ideology.

A gunfight erupts between a SWAT team and an armed killer; tear gas drives him from his home, where his family is later found slaughtered. Gröss ponders whether society can be blamed for such acts and how context shapes violence. The sequence emphasizes the fragility of safety and the moral gray areas of crime.

Larry DeSilva is executed by electric chair, a moment Gröss uses to question whether two wrongs can make a right in the cycle of punishment. He challenges the viewer to weigh justice against personal ethics. The montage links criminal justice with broader debates about meaning in death.

At the Los Angeles County coroner's office, Dr. Noguchi embalms multiple corpses after autopsies. Gröss asks about his own posthumous fate, and Noguchi responds that life is a transient state. The scene blends medical procedure with philosophical reflection on mortality.

The body of Samuel Berkowitz undergoes cryopreservation, fluids replaced with a low-freezing solution before storage. Gröss questions whether preserving the body alters our understanding of death's finality. The segment emphasizes society's desire to cheat time through science.

The tape shifts to suicide with footage of a woman leaping from a building; Gröss calls this a death he would rather not face again, separating it from quick, painless narratives. The reflections expand the catalog of death's forms and the viewer's emotional response. The film uses this moment to articulate fear and distance in facing mortality.

The segment travels through war footage, exposing atrocities of the Holocaust as German forces collapse under desperation. Gröss notes that Hitler lost control of both his army and his mind as symbols of tyranny are destroyed. The sequence frames death in mass violence and the consequences of totalitarianism.

Images of litter and pollution killing animals, alongside scenes of sick children in poor villages, broaden the critique to humanity's impact on nature and its vulnerable. Nature is shown through search parties, drownings, and a bear attack, while darker groups like a venomous snake cult and cannibalistic cadaver-eaters reveal depravity. The montage underscores the many 'faces of death' in everyday life.

Another tragic accident shows a parachute jump going wrong, with Gröss disputing that the death was quick and painless due to conscious awareness. The PSA Flight 182 disaster is then presented with photos, air-traffic audio, and wreckage, highlighting the raw aftermath of catastrophic failure. The scenes remind viewers of the lingering reality of death's aftermath.

Gröss meets architect Joseph Binder, who believes his wife and son linger as ghosts; parapsychologists document footprints and two apparitions. Binder communicates with his deceased relatives through a medium, seemingly confirming life after death. The sequence anchors the supernatural as a possible component of death's continuum.

After studying Binder's case, Gröss states that the soul remains a traveler after death, challenging whether death is the end or the beginning. The footage is handed to the viewer for interpretation, ending the documentary on a contemplative note. The final montage shows a baby's birth and a mother with her child, underscoring hope and continuity.