Review of Irreversible (2002) by Anthony D — 29 Aug 2009
WARNING : EXTREMELY GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF RAPE, SEXUAL ACTIVITY AND VIOLENCE While structurally similar to 'Memento' in that the story is told backwards, IRREVERSIBLE is like nothing you have seen or likely will ever see again.
Simply put, it follows three people on one devastating night. Alex and Marcus invite Pierre (Alex's ex-boyfriend) to accompany them to a party. Alex leaves early only to become trapped, raped and beaten -nearly to death- in an underground tunnel.
Marcus and Pierre set out to find the rapist before the police do. Everything about IRREVERSIBLE, from the story to the cinematography to the sound design, is intended to be shocking and produce a physical or emotional reaction from it's viewers.
The first half of the film is the most raw, brutal and unflinching stuff I've ever seen in a movie. As such, most people will absolutely hate it; and most of those that do, will never see the entire thing.
What really surprised me about it, after reading about the controversial content, was the emotional punch at the end of the film - before the horrific events in the story take place. It brought tears to my eyes.
While the movie itself can be called extreme, it does not glorify rape or murder, but simply observes it. We all know that things like this happen every day. Just pick up a newspaper.
This review of Irreversible (2002) was written by Anthony D on 29 Aug 2009.
Irreversible has generally received positive reviews.
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