Review of Calvaire (2005) by Chad O — 13 Sep 2011

Calvaire is a Belgian horror flick directed by Fabrice Du Welz and starring Laurent Lucas (Marc Stevens) and Jackie Berroyer (Mr. Bartel). It's about this singer who becomes stranded in the Belgian backwoods and is given a room in an old inn by the retired comedian Mr. Bartel. Turns out Bartel's a loony who sees his estranged wife in Marc and the shit just hits the fan.

The entire piece is visually haunting. I'm not sure how exactly the effect is achieved, but overall not one particular image sits with me but a conglomerate, all very disturbing. How is it that Welz can make a forest, or any scene for that matter, look so objectively horrifying? There's something so quiet and subtly disturbing about the way the scenery looks in this film. Welz has a talent for cinematography. He captures these scenes with natural lighting, objectively, and there's an undeniable richness in the simplicity. I find it baffling and very exciting. I actually plan to look into other works by Fabrice Du Welz in hopes that Calvaire was not a fluke. I hope I never see any woods or forests remotely resembling anything I've seen in Calvaire. The scenery just kept hitting me, and the few final shots of the film Creeped Me The Fuck Out. Never have I quite seen anything like those last few shots. Uniquely unsettling.

Objectivism in Welz's directing style is deftly employed. The long shots, the slow creep of the camera or the disorienting, yet so very quiet, spin he uses in some of the more intense scenes. The camera does not comment on what is happening, only shows. One particularly interesting shot has the camera slowly and seamlessly pass through a glass window. So well done is it that I actually almost didn't recognize it for what it was. Welz's potential in his camera work and cinematography are truly promising and invigorating.

What we have, apart from the visual and cinematic qualities, is a film which is also rich in subtext, allegory, themes and symbolism. My inclination has been to give a spoiler warning and engage in a lengthy analysis of some of the thematic elements but I would not be doing the project justice unless I devote ample time. It is a project I will in fact return to as I find Calvaire very stimulating. There is just so much to talk about in this film. Though admittedly as a critic I was not immediately impressed. After I began digging and thinking like an analyst, however, I found my respect for the film steadily growing. There is so much to read into, and you can tell Welz was aware of this. He works in so much subtlety and quiet symbolism throughout the film and I'm glad I stopped to consider some of the ideas I initially only touched upon in thought. Calvaire is thought provoking long after viewing and that is undeniably what good storytelling is all about.

Plus there is one infamous bar scene that, if you haven't seen, you must.