This lies outside the scope of my essay on After Hours, although I wondered if I could somehow include it. Not meant to be. When I interviewed Michael Koresky about his book Films of Endearment, during our conversation he mentioned a 1972 short television movie called La Cabina. He said it was the scariest movie he’d ever seen. Naturally I was intrigued so I sought it out. The whole thing is on YouTube. It is truly terrifying. Michael did not exaggerate. It is one of the most unnerving things I’ve ever seen.
And it came up for me as I was writing and thinking and dreaming about After Hours all spring. Or, at least, for February/March/April. There are so many connections, I think, particularly in the ending … although After Hours’ ending is more ambiguous than La Cabina (and slightly less terrifying). I always remember that during the last camera move through the office, after Paul staggers in, covered in plaster dust, and sits back down at his desk … the camera zips away from him and races up and down the aisles (the office is empty: no one is in yet) and when the camera comes back around to Paul’s desk he is no longer there. Where did he go? Did he actually die inside that “statue”? And he’s now a shade, wandering the earth? There are big golden gates in front of his office, after all. But maybe not. Maybe after the crazy night he had, he sat down at his desk and thought, “I don’t want to do this anymore” and got up and left. Either way, I just love that he’s no longer there.
La Cabina can play without subtitles. You don’t need language at all. It is a relentlessly horrifying experience, of increasing helplessness and panic, no way out. I think there’s something there, it made me wonder if Scorsese – or the writers – or producers – saw the film.
Enjoy the horror!
