Irréversible

Irréversible is probably one of the most controversial films you will ever see, which is mostly caused by its two (in)famous scenes which are excessively violent. One is of a guy being hit to death with a fireextinguisher, the other a rape scene which lasts for something like 9 minutes and which is shown during one long take. Added to this is the film's spinning camera, which moves around in circles from upside down to downside up and which is said to be able to cause nausea. Some people reacted with disgust leaving the cinema before the film ended, some people, like me, loved the film for its beauty, its ideas and its deeper meanings. Fact is that Irréversible is a film that varies in responses. True, the rape scene makes you feel disgusted and is almost unwatchable, because of its realness and is definitely a scene you don't want some people to ever lay eyes on. But what comes after are scenes that are pure beauty and a treat for people who love to watch actors interact almost purely on improvisation. This is what happens in one of the scenes showing actress Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel, who plays her boyfriend and Albert Dupontel, who plays her ex, involved in a conversation about their sex life, discussing why Bellucci's character Alex reaches real pleasure with Cassel, but never with Dupontel. In contrast to the film's opening, which is almost completely dark, its ending is colorful like the most wonderful summer day imagineable. And it's end message: 'Time destroys everything', will make you think and wonder long after having watched the film, which is told in reversible order starting with the ending and finishing with the beginning when the life of the characters was still bliss and seemed full of opportunity. Overall Irréversible is a love or hate encounter and a film which contains some scenes which you have to be able to endure to not give in to the temptation of walking out on the film.