Last night I watched the infamous Gasper Noe film for the first time. It has been on my list for ages, but I only first came across it over the weekend. I am a fan of the two stars Vincent Cassel and Monica Belucci and had read about how extreme it is, which always peaks my interest, and it didn't disappoint. (This isn't a full review) This film let's you know immediately that there is no sitting on the fence with this one. It isn't one that you thought was 'alright', Its not a film that is looking for your approval, you may think it is genius, you may thing it is ridiculous, it doesn't really care, as long as it gets a reaction.
A woman is exceptionally brutally raped and beaten in an underpass, Irreversible explores the events immediately leading upto and following. From the opening credits, everything seems designed to put you on edge. There is a very strange handheld filming style, rarely showing the subject but scanning across the setting, with the camera panning, rotating, bouncing - it reminded me of moments from Lynch's films, mostly Inland Empire and Lost Highway, plus a bit of Fire Walk with Me.
The story is delivered through scenes shown in reverse order, so we first see the aftermath, the attack takes place halfway through, and then we see the buildup. In theory, Cassel is calmer in each one and the franticness of the filming style reflects this, so we feel what he is feeling even more. I liked the structure and i was totally riveted, but in a sense, the film starts at the extreme end, then gradually cools (despite the most repulsive scene being about halfway through) which makes the effect interesting. We are all so used to living through the buildup with characters, and then things will climax, but it's hard to know if the reverse order structure adds anything - besides gaining attention from the start. When it comes to the final shot, Belucci lying in a park, we know what is to come, but I don't think that is a particularly strong way to finish, maybe I'm missing the point. Whereas the first scene, the aftermath in the club Rectum, and the attack scene in the underpass are now burnt into my memory. The underpass scene takes an entirely different, much more graphic approach to the rape scene in the recent CIFF screening of Miracle which I wrote about, but would be just as, if not much more likely to cause audience walkouts. It is mostly one unbroken shot, and is highly thought out to deliver maximum visual impact. Belucci's hand held out towards camera (not miles off Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder) the shot angle showing the tunnel stretching away behind them, the colour of the lights, the echoes, the passer-by who turns back and leaves all add to the impact. On that last point - without giving anything away - I wondered whether that passer by was one of the other characters that we meet, which made sense in a twisted way - to anyoneelse who has seen it, I'd be very keen to hear if you had the same thought?
Different bits remind me of other films, but as a whole I can't think of anything quite like this. The sound design plays a big part, as do the performances of course, which are unhinged at times. It's not really the kind of film that you enjoy, or perhaps even like, it is a visceral experience designed to illicit a reaction (similar to some Michael Haneke works). I really appreciated the ambition and filmmaking, it would be high but I would need more time to give it an overall rating, but much more importantly, it more than did it s job and certainly worked.
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