Irréversible (2002, France) is a film written, directed, edited, and photographed by Gaspar Noé. It is considered to be one of the most controversial and disturbing films ever made, due to its explicit on-camera depiction of rape and a vengeful murder.
The film has also been compared to Memento, since both films use a reverse chronology; they are told backwards.
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2 Plot 3 Critical reaction 4 Public reception 5 Awards 6 Cast 7 External link |
The story is of two men (Marcus and Pierre) who seek revenge following the rape of the girlfriend of one of the men. The film is set in an unnamed French city over the course of one day. The story is told in reverse chronology in thirteen sections each around five minutes in length. The beginning of the film (i.e. the end of the timeline in the film) contains many distorted images and rapidly, freely moving and rotating cameras creating a sense of chaos. Over the course of the film (i.e. moving backwards in the timeline of the film) the imagery becomes steadily calmer, intending to reinforce the tagline of the film, that over time things become more chaotic.
Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers Spoilers follow
Two men, Marcus (Vincent Cassel) and Pierre (Albert Dupontel), are led out of a homosexual nightclub, "Rectum," by police. Earlier that evening, they arrived in frantic search for a pimp named Le Tenia. When Marcus had his arm broken and was about to be sexually assaulted by who they believed was the man they were looking for, Pierre seized a fire extinguisher and bludgeoned the man to death. (This killing is depicated graphically, on camera, and is considered one of the two most controversial sequences in the film.)
In a succession of scenes, we learn that Marcus and Pierre went in search of Le Tenia after questioning several prostitutes. They were aided in their search by two men who promised to exchange information about Le Tenia for money, so that the two could exact revenge. It is further disclosed that Le Tenia raped and beat a mutual friend of theirs, Alex (Monica Bellucci), when she happened to encounter him slapping a prostitute in an underground tunnel. The rape itself, the film's other most controversial segment, is shown in a single unbroken take.
The film then delves into the actions that preceded the event. We see Marcus and Pierre at a party, with the two apparently divided over Marcus's uninhibited use of drugs and alcohol to enjoy himself. But earlier scenes reveal the real divisions between them: Alex left Pierre, the staid and sexually reserved philosophy professor, for the more footloose and sexually uninhibited Marcus. The last (first) scene shows Marcus and Alex rising from bed to prepare for the party, and indicates that Alex is probably also pregnant, although it is left deliberately vague as to whose child it is. The film ends with a time-indeterminate shot of Alex in a park surrounded by children (accompanied by Beethoven's 7th Symphony), giving way to a strobing effect and a roaring sound that is reminiscent of the film running out of the projector gate. A final title card reads: LE TEMPS DETRUIT TOUT (Time Destroys Everything).
The rape scene, at nine minutes in length, has been widely criticised for its extreme and prolonged mixture of sex and violence. More cynical observers have argued that such criticism was just what the filmmakers wanted; providing valuable free publicity for the film.
Much controversy has circulated over the film's intentions and methods. While few critics believe the film is a sanction of either rape or revenge, they did openly question whether or not it was exploiting the subject(s) by being so graphic and frank. Film critic Roger Ebert has argued that the film's structure makes it inherently moral—that by presenting vengeance before the acts that inspire it, we are forced to process the vengeance first, and therefore think more deeply about its implications.
Others have pointed out how the film's reverse chronology is used to several other ends aside from examining the moral implications of revenge. For instance, by dispelling any tension generated from the more commonly exploited plot device or whether or not the heroes will be successful in their quest for revenge.
Audience reaction, to both the very lengthy violent sexual attack and a disquietingly brutal murder, has ranged from shocked outrage, abhorrence, to leaving the theater in disgust. A great many women, and men, turn away at times during the film. Yet, fanss of the movie state the violence as pictured is essential to the story and give the film credibility.
Newsweek magazine stated that this was the "most walked-out-of movie of the year."
Irreversible won the "Bronze Horse" award at the Stockholm Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film stars:
Story overview
Plot
Critical reaction
Public reception
Awards
Cast
External link
