Time destroys everything

The last time I cringed whilst watching a movie was sometime last year when Oh Dae-Su swallowed a live octopus in Park Chan-Wook’s Oldboy. And I don’t think I’ve ever consciously everted my gaze from the screen (excluding the first time I watched The Exorcist ) until yesterday, when I finally caught up with a DVD that I bought a couple of months back of the movie Irreversible.

The movie was originally released in 2002, and was infamous for its uber-violent scenes. It is unfortunate that the violence in the movie has garnered so much negative publicity; as the movie itself is (in my opinion) a cinematic masterpiece. Yes, it’s sadistic and pretentious, but if one can get through the initial stomach-churning bits, there will be a more cerebral reward at hand.

Violence in movies has almost been vouched for by the usual suspects as a factor in adolescent misbehaviour and social degradation as a whole. Of course, there is no real tangible evidence to stand up for this case but as it seems to make sense at an intellectual level, movies have had to endure criticisms as a harbinger of social decay. As opposed to other factors like socioeconomic depravity and lack of parental control. But that’s a topic for another day.

Personally, I don’t applaud violence in movies for violence’ sake. Scenes of gore in a movie like Saw II for example, is just wasteful wherelse the scene of Edward Norton’s character (in American History X) smashing his foot into the occiput of an African-American as he bit the pavement for the crime of having darker pigmentation has left an indelible memory for the potential of cruelty and bigotry that can be seen in the world today; from the genocide of Bosnia to the daily reports of Shiah and Sunni slaughters coming in from Iraq.

And that is the power of movies – its ability to not only entertain, but provide a platform for art and foundation for realism that might be hitherto unknown to the viewer. Saving Private Ryan was critically acclaimed for its accurate portrayal of WW2, not for its admittedly impressive special effects. And likewise, I believe that Irreversible is a portrayal into the darker recesses of the human psyche and our ability to cope with it.




The technical accomplishment and acting prowess of the folks in the movie is not to be underestimated. The film is divided into 12 parts, each shot continuously with improvisation by the actors/actresses (who all put on a sterling performance, and should be applauded for playing their difficult roles). And the movie is played out in a chronologically-backward manner, ala Memento, so that you are first confronted with the effects of previous events.

The soundtrack resonates with the tone of events, from a disturbing bass rumbling in the initial scenes of violence to Beethoven’s Symphony No.7 in a scene later during the movie that involved the more lukewarm activity of sunbathing. We are taken from scene to scene by quirky camera movements, reminiscent of the chaotic but ultimately goal-oriented flickering of a butterfly, moving not from here to there, but from now to then. A bit headache-inducing at times, but once again in keeping with the theme of the movie.

Of course, the main talking points have inevitably centred on two highly controversial scenes – the graphic, unflinching recording of fire extinguisher versus face and the 10-minute, lengthy rape of Monica Belucci’s character. It is in the final part of the film that we move to more familiar topics of friendship and love, and the light-hearted and tender portrayal of the protagonist brings a sad smile to your face as the memory of the previous/future violence is still fresh in your mind and you are brutally aware of how fragile the beauty of everyday life really is. And you are then faced with an almost ironic happy ‘ending’.

The movie does not attempt to explain the rationale behind human behaviour, not does it attempt to investigate the nature of violence and its effect on us. Rather, judgement is left to the viewer. It does not condone the brutality but we are given, almost forced to endure the scenes of grotesque inhumanity and you end up wondering if anyone can actually behave in that manner and more importantly, HOW can anyone behave in that manner in the first place?

Yes, you might criticize the level of violence in the movie, but it is no different than what individuals have to endure in daily life. Women get raped, men get beaten up (and vice versa). As morbid as I am, I can’t even begin to imagine hurting a human being to the point of death, but such instances do happen all too often. And how will you behave if someone you loved and cared dearly for was hurt in the most unimaginably violent way possible (this being the central thesis of the first part of the movie)? What are the consequences of being reduced to your primal instinct and embarking on an emotionally-charged mission without paying heed to rationale, which is what you can see occurring in everyday life? Me – In terms of the final response, I’m probably more Pierre than Marcus, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about if you catch the movie.

Would I recommend this film? I can only think of a few people I know who might even consider watching it but yes, I’d recommend it with a few ‘ifs’. If you think that Kill Bill was violent and you couldn’t stand to watch it, then don’t bother. Kill Bill is like the Teletubbies compared to this movie. If you’re into movies because they give you a warm feeling in your heart and help escape the dreariness of everyday life, then don’t bother either. But if you are an adult and you’d like to challenge yourself and open your mind into the inherent cruelty of human nature, then go for it. Watch it once, and then keep the DVD in a box that you won’t be opening for a while.