Gaspar Noé is a sick nihilist, and the fact that he definitely embraces that fact with pride makes the delivery of his work all the more sensual in its inadequacy. Anything he does is a one-viewing guilty pleasure, and Irreversible is the guiltiest of them all (on account of it being his most (in)famous film).
I'm always a weakling for films that challenge the constructs of the cinematic experience. Not talking about plots or characters, although they can definitely be mutual. No. It's the films that take you for a ride, that break the boundaries of the orthodox way of presenting an idea or a plot, something Gaspar Noé has proven to always try, seasoning it with a generous spoonful of nihilism and human despair. At the center of his weird cinematic universe (the movie opens with a monologue from a character from another Gaspar film, The Butcher) lies Irreversible, a tragedy told in reverse.
It is unfortunate that its fame as the raw depiction of the brutal r*pe of its main character has unfortunately tainted its perception in the public eye, in what it's otherwise one of the most fascinating and unique depictions of the concepts of revenge and inevitability, as we see the actions first and the consequences later, supported by its maddening sense of nausea provided by a camera manned by a heavily dosed Gaspar, as we descend into the silent madness of the late streets of France. There were genuinely surprising sequences within Irreversible that display a mastery of cinematography, as I kinda was expecting it to be more ratchet, what with its independent status and all that, but instead melodically puts you in the position that you need to be into, in every given scene. It is, even a respectful portrayal of a r*pe scene in such a way. Unfaced, unerotic, raw and harrowing, static, as if time itself was stopped in its horror, never stepping away for gratuitousness. There were definitely moments where the spoken plot and the later scenes feel unimportant and boring, but I guess it makes sense, since we see the climax of the story right at the beginning. It's functional in its purpose, but it sometimes comes off as "too alternative", making some of its steps in uniqueness hurdle its rewatchability.
(I would be lying if I said that it isn't an unpleasant film. I doubt I'll give it a second viewing, and I advise anyone (especially those suffering from vertigo and epilepsy) to thread on this film with care. It's not an adventure for the uninitiated/nonconsenting, and watching it it's definitely equivalent to consenting to getting punched in the face, so if you decide to watch it, you can't really complain, as you've been warned). I It is recommendable for anyone deeply interested in cinema, as it is a trip from start to end, and it's an example of audiovisual arts taking themselves seriously as the means of human creativity.
Speaking of audiovisual, the big surprise is definitely Thomas Bangalter, who delivers a unique, Oscar worthy soundtrack, unveiling a record both analogous to the catchy commercial style of his role as one half of Daft Punk, and posing as a subversive, ear melting symphony of sensory nausea that compliments the already unwatchable visuals. Some of the songs from the soundtrack are some of my personal favorite works from him, and that's saying something considering Homework exists...
Le temps detruit tout. It really does.
I'm always a weakling for films that challenge the constructs of the cinematic experience. Not talking about plots or characters, although they can definitely be mutual. No. It's the films that take you for a ride, that break the boundaries of the orthodox way of presenting an idea or a plot, something Gaspar Noé has proven to always try, seasoning it with a generous spoonful of nihilism and human despair. At the center of his weird cinematic universe (the movie opens with a monologue from a character from another Gaspar film, The Butcher) lies Irreversible, a tragedy told in reverse.
It is unfortunate that its fame as the raw depiction of the brutal r*pe of its main character has unfortunately tainted its perception in the public eye, in what it's otherwise one of the most fascinating and unique depictions of the concepts of revenge and inevitability, as we see the actions first and the consequences later, supported by its maddening sense of nausea provided by a camera manned by a heavily dosed Gaspar, as we descend into the silent madness of the late streets of France. There were genuinely surprising sequences within Irreversible that display a mastery of cinematography, as I kinda was expecting it to be more ratchet, what with its independent status and all that, but instead melodically puts you in the position that you need to be into, in every given scene. It is, even a respectful portrayal of a r*pe scene in such a way. Unfaced, unerotic, raw and harrowing, static, as if time itself was stopped in its horror, never stepping away for gratuitousness. There were definitely moments where the spoken plot and the later scenes feel unimportant and boring, but I guess it makes sense, since we see the climax of the story right at the beginning. It's functional in its purpose, but it sometimes comes off as "too alternative", making some of its steps in uniqueness hurdle its rewatchability.
(I would be lying if I said that it isn't an unpleasant film. I doubt I'll give it a second viewing, and I advise anyone (especially those suffering from vertigo and epilepsy) to thread on this film with care. It's not an adventure for the uninitiated/nonconsenting, and watching it it's definitely equivalent to consenting to getting punched in the face, so if you decide to watch it, you can't really complain, as you've been warned). I It is recommendable for anyone deeply interested in cinema, as it is a trip from start to end, and it's an example of audiovisual arts taking themselves seriously as the means of human creativity.
Speaking of audiovisual, the big surprise is definitely Thomas Bangalter, who delivers a unique, Oscar worthy soundtrack, unveiling a record both analogous to the catchy commercial style of his role as one half of Daft Punk, and posing as a subversive, ear melting symphony of sensory nausea that compliments the already unwatchable visuals. Some of the songs from the soundtrack are some of my personal favorite works from him, and that's saying something considering Homework exists...
Le temps detruit tout. It really does.