Irreversible (2002)

"Time Destroys Everything"

Time is very pivotal and shouldn’t be played with or not taken granted for. A lot can happen in a night, even in five minutes. One second you’re in this vibrant mood, and the next you’re in this revenge mode.

The film Irreversible takes place in one night in the city of Paris. The story is told in reverse chronological order. The story is about two men who set out to get revenge on a man who raped one of the man’s girlfriends. It’s told in thirteen different scenes.

I absolutely loved this movie. One thing I enjoyed was the cinematography. In the beginning scenes, the camera was very shaky and constantly twisting and turning, which is guaranteed to cause motion sickness. The direction that Brazilian director Gaspar Noe took was also a very helpful contribution. He portrayed this fun Paris night as an everyday you or I might have. He then turns it into a very horrific tragedy that results in a even more tragic outcome. But because of the non-linear narrative, this is reversed.

The music was also very good. In the beginning sequence, the electronic beats that were playing in the midst of anger and impatience were superb. The artist was Thomas Bangalter, who also in the music group Daft Punk.

This film is considered the most controversial film of 2002, and maybe one the most of this past decade. Halfway through the film, a very brutal rape scene happens. I honestly didn’t have a huge problem with it, but when I started to think about actual rape, it hit really hard. The scene lasted around nine minutes and was by far the most important scene in the film. Also featured in the film was a lot of gratuitous content, from homosexual S&M bars to unsimulated oral sex. Although very experimental, I think this film doesn’t cross that thin line between art and porn.

This film was very well made, but it was a little too much for me with the camerawork and the sexual content. I give the film a 4.5 out of 5 and you can purchase it on DVD or watch it on Netflix.