Review of Irreversible (2002) by Benny B — 16 Aug 2012

I have finally seen it.

'Irreversible' is a dizzying, sickening revenge tale told in reverse. Roger Ebert states in his review, 'The reverse chronology makes Irreversible a film that structurally argues against rape and violence'. But a film shouldn't have to argue against rape and violence. And yes, the long protracted nine-minute scene of brutal anal rape and vicious assault of a young woman shown in one shot is not intended to sexually gratify; it is directed so to 'turn-off', not 'turn-on'. But this does not concern me, nor does the abhorrent homophobia that runs through every seamy frame. I have never subscribed to the idea that movies should always be good for you. But pretensions and pomposity does irritate me. 'Time destroys everything', a random man utters at the beginning. But time is in the hands of director, Noe, uses this structural facet (or gimmick) as a means to dress up his fascistic exploitation as some sort of philosophical musing on the relationship between time, space and human behaviour that is ultimately both empty and vacuous, and effectively endorses it's ideology of misogyny and homophobia.