There are two scenes in the French film "Irréversible" that I'll never, ever forget. The first is within the first fifteen minutes of the movie. It's probably the most brutally violent, most sadistic scene I've ever sat through. It's cruel and horrifying. Later on in the film, around the halfway point, there's another scene that's equally brutal, but much longer... about ten minutes. Ten minutes of sheer cruelty. During the first violent scene I described, I watched two people leave the theater. During the second one, the really long one, I watched three people walk out. Newsweek said that "Irréversible" was the most walked out of movie of the year. They're probably right. This is a movie for people with strong stomachs, people who aren't easily offended, people who are willing to sit through extreme violence to understand the point of the movie.
"Irréversible" is unlike any movie I've ever seen before. From beginning to end, I wasn't just sitting there watching a movie, I was going through a harrowing visceral experience that has to be seen to be believed. Years ago, I remember leaving the theater after watching "Seven," I was speechless. The movie disturbed me and completely floored me. "Irréversible" did the same thing, but the feeling has lasted a lot longer. I saw the movie a week ago, and I still get chills thinking about it.
"Irréversible" is similar to "Memento" in that the story is told backwards. The first scene tells the ending of the story, the very last scene is the beginning of the story, but that's where the similarities to "Memento" end. The reason that "Memento" is told backwards is so that like the main character, you have no idea what happened before. You're going through what the protagonist is going through. With "Irréversible," the backward storytelling is a manipulative tool to play with your emotions, and alter how you feel about the characters. At the same time, knowing what's gonna eventually happen to the characters makes the happier scenes that follow (but take place before the violence) a lot more significant. This is a movie that really makes you appreciate and respect the fragility of life.
One of the most interesting things about this movie is that all of the scenes are a single shot each. There are about a dozen scenes in this film, and each one is a single shot; no edits, no cuts. At least, that's how it looks. I'm sure that for the more complex scenes, there are hidden cuts somewhere, but generally speaking, each scene is a single shot that lasts between eight and twelve minutes. For the scenes that contain violence, it makes the violence seem even more brutal. Since there are no cuts, the violence is more realistic. However, during scenes where little is going on, the film moves at a snail's pace, and that's the movie's only weakness. I respect the fact that each scene is supposed to be a single shot, but some of the scenes go on for a little too long. Still, even with that big flaw, this is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Certainly the best film so far this year.
This amazing film stars two of the biggest celebrities in France, Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci. They were married at one time, but I don't think they're married anymore. Vincent Cassel was in "Brotherhood of the Wolf," "The Crimson Rivers," "Hate," "Read My Lips," and several other French films, but he's also been in some English-language movies, like "Elizabeth," "Birthday Girl," and "Shrek" as the voice of "Robin Hood." Monica Bellucci was also in "Brotherhood of the Wolf," but it's her upcoming role in the two sequels to "The Matrix" that will make her a celebrity in America. Both of their performances in this movie are outstanding, especially Bellucci, who had to go through a lot in this film. She's quite the trooper. Another performance I really liked was Albert Dupontel as "Pierre." I'm not familiar with his previous work, but I liked what he did in this film. His character in this movie... well, let's just say that his character goes through some changes. All three performances are awesome, and all three should be very proud of their work.
Then there's Gaspar Noé. As great as those three performances are, Gaspar Noé is the real star of the film. He's the man who wrote and directed the film, but not only that, he edited it, and he was one of the cinematographers (along with Benoît Debie). I'd never heard of Gaspar Noé before seeing this movie, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of his work. Previously, he directed a movie called "I Stand Alone," and that one is supposed to be pretty good, too. I'm gonna have to rent it on DVD. Or maybe I'll just go ahead and buy it. For those of you who have already seen "I Stand Alone," "Irréversible" is apparently a sequel of sorts, since the main character of "I Stand Alone" makes a brief appearance early in "Irréversible."
Gaspar Noé has made an excellent movie, but it isn't for everybody. For many, it's simply unwatchable. But for those who can sit through the brutal violence, it's a rewarding experience, though not a happy one. I'm glad that Gaspar Noé had the balls to make this movie.
I should point out that "Irréversible" has great music (by Thomas Bangalter, who's part of the group, Daft Punk) and incredible sound design. For those of you who have high-end home theaters with Dolby Digital 5.1, THX, DTS, and all that good stuff, this is a movie that'll be awesome on DVD.
It's been a very long time since I've given a movie a 10. I'm a bit more picky with how I rate movies now, so a movie has to be damn near perfect to get a 10. That being said, this movie comes really close to being a 10, but a couple of the scenes dragged on for too long, and the movie suffered a little because of it. Make no mistake, though, "Irréversible" is an excellent, powerful movie that I'm gonna be thinking about for a very long time.
Scale of 1-10: 9