Originally titled Oranges Sanguines in France, Bloody Oranges is a dark comedy with a handful of interesting storylines which end in tragedy and death. Olivier (Olivier Saladin) and Louise (Lilith Grasmug) are an elderly couple living their lives in France. Their passion is rock and roll dancing and they often compete in small competitions. The couple’s accounts are overdrawn and their pensions aren’t large enough to make up the shortfall. The bank gives them an ultimatum: put the house up for sale now and get a good price which will give them a surplus after paying off their debt or wait until the sale of the house is ordered by a court and it will still leave them in debt after the foreclosure. Olivier has one hope which may save their home and their finances; the national dance competition for which the couple has just qualified.
Bizarrely, his banker allows him to pursue this solution, giving the couple until Saturday to make their decision. Their son Alexandre (Alexandre Steiger) is a young lawyer working for Stéphane Lemarchand (Christophe Paou) the sitting minister of finance who just barely dodges a scandal. On his way to potentially create another scandal, his car breaks down and he seeks help from a violent and perverse character only named in the credits: Le Détraqué, The Deranged (Fred Blin). Céline (Céline Fuhrer) is a teenage girl living a fairly normal life, excited to lose her virginity at a party with a boy she likes. She too has a tragic run-in with The Deranged.
As seen above, this movie is very complicated. The plotlines twist and turn into and around each other. There are some excellent long shots and other cinematography and the acting is phenomenal throughout. This movie, however, isn’t for the weak-hearted or sensitive. Rape is a major theme in the second half of the movie and should be considered in recommendations. Both Céline and Stéphane are sexually assaulted by The Deranged.
Though the film begins quite funny, a dark comedy in the vein of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Curb Your Enthusiasm, it takes a hard and horrific twist when The Deranged is introduced. The violence in this movie would make Quentin Tarantino avert his gaze at certain moments. While the focus is on other things for most of the movie, the intense brutality it exposes you to sticks out. Despite this, those who can stomach the varied forms of violence on display in Bloody Oranges will find a lot of enjoyment. There are some genuinely funny parts and the end of the movie is bizarrely heart-warming and satisfying in several very dark ways. While certainly not recommended for all viewers, Bloody Oranges is an excellent dark comedy. Highly Recommended.
What public library shelves does this title belong on?
Bloody Oranges belongs alongside other dark comedies.
Would this be a good title for screening?
Because of the types and levels of violence on display in the film's second half, Bloody Oranges is not recommended for a public screening.