Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Irreversible

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Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 04-20-2003, 07:27 PM:

Irreversible

In what has to be the most brutal, revolting movie experience I have ever experience, IRREVERSIBLE caused many walkouts during its two BIG scenes of violence. Like MEMENTO, it unravels (or deravels) its story backwards. We are placed inside the most nightmarish of locations, a gay S&M bar called The Rectum. With an extremely jerky camera, resulting in total disorientation, we hear much derogatory name calling ("fuckin' faggot" and "queers" are heard over and over, or at least translated from the original French into English subtitles) and quick shots of fisting that leave nothing to the imagination. We also see a man brutally beat another man to death by smashing in his skull, over and over again, all while the jaded patrons watch on, apparently getting rushes while watching "the action." If any member of the "homophobes of the world unite" were to watch this movie, they would have the perfect recruitment flick.

Later in the film (or, in this case, earlier) we watch a supposedly GAY man get frustrated by a non-cooperating pre-op trannie prostitute and who OF COURSE then turns his attention to a woman who he sodomizes and beats up. In this sequence there is no roving camera. It is simply locked down to the ground, one unmoving shot for a full ten minutes. No Political Correctness here! Those gay people are sure depraved sub-humans.

And YET.

Patience has its rewards. For those who can make it past these two sequences (and I admit it was hard for me), one finally sees the larger picture. That decent people can be driven to extremes. That quick last minute decisions of the most seemingly inconsequential nature can be life changing. That the poromise of a beautiful life can be shattered.

A film like this can only really fall into place on a second viewing. Probably a good bet for a DVD.

(reviewed at the Towne Theatre, San Jose, CA)

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-22-2003, 07:38 AM:

I haven't seen the film, but read the Sight and Sound review and was interested in the idea of starting a story after its defining event and then working backwards in time. If this is ever done with slightly less nasty subject matter, I might be persuaded to give it a try...

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-22-2003, 08:41 AM:

Leo -- take a look at Memento.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 04-22-2003, 02:59 PM:

Will do - thank you.