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Irréversible 2002 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Gaspar Noé
NR, 94 min. (extreme graphic violence and rape, sexuality, language, nudity) |
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Starring: Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, Albert Dupontel, Jo Prestia, Philippe Nahon, Stephane Drouot, Mourad Khima
Producer: Christophe Rossignon
Screenplay: Gaspar Noé
Cinematography: Benoît Debie, Gaspar Noé
Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Released: 3.07.03 (Limited)
(In French with subtitles) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
"Time destroys everything."
Irréversible is the kind of film that will have film critics in heated debate for years to come. The question: Is Gaspar
Noé's film an exploitive set piece or a thought-provoking journey into the extremes of human behavior? Depending on one's
initial response to this question, it will most likely determine their argument for or against the merits of the film. Regardless
of this caveat, there's no denying the fact that Irréversible is one of the most difficult films I've ever encountered.
The level of graphic violence and sexual violation within the confines of Noé's seminal conviction of the human spectrum,
from innocence to depravity, is, at times, simply unwatchable. At this point it's worth pointing out, at least for the average moviegoer,
that this is a film that they will have no desire to see or to contemplate. This is an art film all the way, even though the
issues discussed here are universal and worth examining. I must admit that recommending Irréversible is
on the one hand difficult - one's conscience will be severely tested here - but on the other hand inevitable if one carefully
considers the impact and resonance that the film carries within its extremities.
Ever since the film's infamous screening at the Cannes Film Festival last year (in which many hardened cinema types
fled the theater in shock and horror), it has slowly gained more support from both art houses and critics alike, who
have been prepared for the horrific scenes in its arsenal. It's been intensely interesting to observe highly respected
film critics take sides in the argument over the film's merits, mostly because both sides make compelling arguments
from both a mainstream and independent perspective. Irréversible is too controversial to go completely unnoticed
by the average moviegoer, especially when it hits video stores later this year. My guess is that many people will eventually
see the film and fall into one of the two camps, for better or worse. What remains to be seen is whether or not the film
will one day be hailed as an edgy masterpiece or a sensational piece of dreck. In either case, Irréversible provokes
a response, ranging from outrage to enlightenment.
The film's story is more or less conventional, even though it employs an increasingly popular nonlinear structure. It
unfolds in Memento-like reverse order, plunging the viewer into chaos and then gradually into a false paradise. The
end credits begin scrolling backwards and diagonally (as if the projector had malfunctioned), and we are led into
a back alley building where an older man mumbles to another that "time destroys everything." The handheld camera
twists and turns upside down and jaggedly unfocused, where an underlying intermittent buzzing noise accompanies
the journey into a gay club named "The Rectum." It's here that we meet Marcus (Vincent Cassel) and Pierre (Albert Dupontel),
two men looking for "Le Tenia" (Jo Prestia), a man who brutally raped and beat Marcus' girlfriend, Alex (Monica Bellucci),
into a coma. They find a culprit, beat him to death, and the story continues to unfold backwards, scene by scene, as
the sad events unfolded. We eventually visit the insufferable rape sequence, which lasts over nine minutes, then
travel back to the moments of bliss between Marcus and Alex, the calm before the coming storm.
The film is constructed in a way to augment its sense of balance, from dizzying disorientation to peaceful bliss.
Noé is determined to make the audience feel the momentum and inescapable evil that portrays the depths of
human depravity. The bludgeoning beating of a man in the club (enough to sicken all but the most sadistic viewers), which provides an important clue to careful
observers, is both ironic and horrific, a portrait of man's cruelty in the face of unresolved emptiness. The graphic
nature of the shot is repulsive, but that's the point - Noé communicates the ultimate act of evil. Then, in a truly
gut-wrenching rape scene, we watch in horror as a man inflicts violation of the worst kind, this time on a beautiful woman
who is the embodiment of what he despises - his own shame and guilt. That Noé chooses to frame this sequence in
all its ugliness, and for what seems like an eternity, is further proof of his desire to portray the raw extremes of
humanity. The camera angle is at ground level, aware of every muted scream and struggle against the attacker.
It's at this point that most viewers seek the reprieve of the theater's exits, and to be honest, it's hard
to argue with their sentiments. But just around the corner is the key to this hellish experience.
It becomes apparent in the film's latter scenes that Noé is imparting his theme - that given enough time everything
ends in oblivion. A pessimistic view to be sure, but a debatable one. This is where Irréversible begins to
reveal itself, through characters that come alive with a lust for life and a search for happiness. We learn that Marcus
and Alex share a deep intimacy, and that Pierre longs for the companionship of his ex-girlfriend (Alex). They are
comfortable around each other, they talk frankly about sex and each other, and are tightly bonded. In the luxurious,
quiet scenes between Marcus and Alex, we see the opposite of depravity - tenderness and loving affection. It concludes
in a park with Alex laying on the grass reading as children scamper innocently around her. At this moment the resonance
of the film becomes palpable because we know that this false paradise precedes the nightmares ahead. Noé implies that
innocence and depravity are interlinked, an inescapable reality that haunts those at either end of the spectrum.
Of course, as most controversial films are, its relevant worth is debatable. Opponents have pointed out that Noé's setting
for depravity, a gay club and homosexual acts, is unfair and bigoted. It's true that a homosexual perpetrates the rape
and the avengers are heterosexual, but it's possible that the film could have used almost any shady environment of society
to make its point. The extreme nature of the material is also disconcerting, seemingly crafted to incite controversy in
order to create buzz about the picture. This is true to an extent, but no more than Stanley Kubrick's polarizing A Clockwork Orange,
a film that outraged many at the time for its depiction of senseless violence. It's also quite obvious that Noé wished to
draw comparisons to Kubrick's other masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, in its examination of man's consistency
from its humble origins to its jaded future. Although there is some congruence here with Kubrick's work, I'm not ready
to equate Noé's film with Kubrick's vision.
For a film like Irréversible to work, a malleable and bold cast is a necessity. Noé convinced the then real-life
couple of Vincent Cassel and Monica Belluci to become his subjects in a difficult film. Although Cassel's performance
is uneven, Belluci's is heartbreaking. For any actor to endure one nine-minute sequence of simulated violation is tough
enough, but the way in which Belluci is subjected to life-like torture is impossible to watch without feeling. She is also
courageous in other scenes, baring all for the camera. Belluci (some may recall her work in Under Suspicion) is on the brink of stardom in the States, as she has appeared
recently with Bruce Willis in Tears of the Sun, in last year's Brotherhood of the Wolf, and will appear in the upcoming Matrix sequels.
Albert Dupontel also gives an important performance as the man who becomes the center of Noé's message - that everyone
is capable of both acts of love and atrocity.
In hindsight, Irréversible will probably be remembered for two horrific scenes, but there's a lot more going on here
than meets the eye. It's true that Noé has probably gone a little too far to prove his point, but French filmmakers have
always pushed the envelope to and over the edge of acceptability. A majority of American audiences will be aghast at
what this film accomplishes, however, there is a growing sense that Irréversible may be
revisited in the future by those who walked out of theaters the first time, in order to fully grasp Noé's message. I would
surmise that the film will be easier to digest on video, when a fast-forward button is employed, thereby allowing the film
to unfold completely before passing judgment on it. But make no mistake, the images in Irréversible are
impossible to forget, so make sure you're willing to live with the memory of them.
© 2003 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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