Irreversible

There are some who consider Gaspar Noe's strident, graphic, structurally inverted depiction of a brutal rape and its aftermath a powerful statement about the cruelties of modern life, but surely there's a difference between a work that uses strong words and harsh images to enlighten and one that does so merely to shock and enrage. Irreversible is a pointlessly nasty tale of violence and vengeance told in reverse order--á la Memento--for effect, beginning with the murder of a man in a grubby nightclub, before moving backwards to show the killer tracking down the victim, followed by a vicious assault on the killer's girlfriend, and finally visiting the earlier hours of the day, concluding with a bucolic shot of the soon-to-be-violated woman in a park, a portrait of health and promise that we know will soon be smashed. The centerpiece, and the most notorious scene, is the 10-minute rape, an admittedly ghastly episode shot almost in a single take inside a ghoulishly-lit underpass. While viewers can hardly fail to be affected by Irreversible, the primary reaction is likely to be one of simple nausea and disgust; since the couple with whom we're meant to sympathize are poorly characterized, the closing reels fail to achieve any cathartic effect that might justify the film's overwhelming ugliness. Although one must admire the courage of Monica Bellucci in submitting to the indignity of the rape sequence, the film is ultimately nothing more than an exploitation movie with artistic pretensions. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a pair of four-minute segments called “Stress” and “Outrage” (comprised mainly of spinning camerawork, colorful lights, and techno music), three minutes of teasers, a brief soundtrack spot (with original music by Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter), and trailers. Bottom line: a skimpy extras package for one of the year's most controversial films.] (F. Swietek)