The Ordeal (2004)
"Calvaire" (original title)

A singer's car breaks down deep in the woods.

Director:

Fabrice Du Welz

Writers:

Fabrice Du Welz, Romain Protat

Stars:

Laurent Lucas, Brigitte Lahaie, Gigi Coursigny

4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurent Lucas	...	Marc Stevens
Brigitte Lahaie	...	Mademoiselle Vicky
Gigi Coursigny	...	Madame Langhoff
Jean-Luc Couchard	...	Boris
Jackie Berroyer	...	Bartel
Philippe Nahon	...	Robert Orton
Philippe Grand'Henry	...	Tomas Orton
Jo Prestia	...	Fermier Mylène
Marc Lefebvre	...	Lucien
Alfred David	...	Roland (as Alfred David-Pingouin)
Alain Delaunois	...	Gáant
Vincent Cahay	...	Stan Le Pianiste
Johan Meys	...	Rosto
Romain Protat	...	Figurant Dans Le Bar
Damien Waselle	...	Figurant Dans Le Bar

Storyline

A few days before Christmas, traveling entertainer Marc Stevens is stuck at nightfall in a remote wood in the swampy Hautes Fagnes region of Liège, his van conked out. An odd chap who's looking for a lost dog leads Marc to a shuttered inn; the owner gives Marc a room for the night. Next day, the innkeeper, Mr. Bartel, promises to fix the van, demands that Marc not visit the nearby village, and goes through Marc's things while the entertainer takes a walk. At dinner that night, Bartel laments his wife's having left him, and by next day, Marc is in a nightmare that may not end.

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Plot Keywords:

van | woods | singer | inn | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

Some people would kill for company.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Belgium France Luxembourg

Language:

French

Release Date:

9 March 2005 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

The Ordeal

Filming Locations:

Bullingen, Belgium

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$635 (USA) (6 October 2006)

Gross:

$2,623 (USA) (6 October 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

La Parti Productions, Tarantula, StudioCanal

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

With the exception of the subtle violin tune heard during the final shots and closing credits and the creepy piano play in the bar, the film has no music score.

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Goofs

"ELECRTICITE" is spelled during the end credits instead of "ELECTRICITE" (Electricity)

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Crazy Credits

In the "thank you" section: "Balo, Jean Hermann, Denis Closset, morts au montage" ("dead in the editing room").

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Connections

References The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

User Reviews

Atmospheric mixture of horror and surreal comedy

This was the best film I saw at London's 2004 Frightfest, much better than the over-hyped but ultimately disappointing Haute Tension, the other French language horror entry.

Superficially this is the Belgian take on the "crazed hillbilly" sub-genre of Last House on the Left or Deliverance, but in it's mixture of horror and surreal humor this is closer to something like Roman Polanski's The Tenant. The portrait of an isolated society who lives without women is taken to its logical and often shocking extremes. There is a scene at the local bar which must rank among the strangest and most memorable set pieces in recent years. The film is very atmospheric and the cinematography is stunning. You can almost feel the chill of the winter forest it takes place in.

Hopefully Calvaire (it's English title was The Ordeal when I saw it) will get a proper release in English speaking territories, though I can see that this is a much more difficult sell than the derivative calling card exercise that was Haute Tension.