Review of Revenge (2017) by Marron G — 12 May 2018

As the rather blunt title would suggest, 'Revenge' is not a complicated film on the surface. Indeed it closely adheres to the exploitation template established over 40 years ago, by films like 'I Spit on Your Grave' and 'MS.45' in that a female protagonist suffers an assault in the first act, and then indulges in the titular revenge for the rest of the movie. However Coralie Fargeat's debut feature here, does offer a little variance on the theme.

Normally, rape-revenge films are a gruelling experience. With emphasis placed on the initial assault to uncomfortable degrees - the aformentioned 'I Spit...' spends a good 1/3 of the film, enduring the viewer to graphic scenes that test any observer's fortitude, but 'Revenge' fortunately doesn't dwell on the act here. Don't get me wrong, it is still a deeply disturbing moment (if anything the build up and tension developed during the build up are as genuinely creepy as anything else) but it is not gratuitous.

Any such restraint is then tossed out of the window for the rest of the flick. Fargeat seems to understand, that the most 'fun' part of any revenge picture, is the actual revenge part, so getting the initial spark lit and burning is to the film's credit. This is why 'Revenge' is arguably one of the few genre movies of this type, that can be 'enjoyed' rather than just suffered through. While curtailment is shown during the opening, the film then develops into full on brutality for the remainder, which tests the viewer's tolerance in a different way, albeit a cathartic one.

Technically the film is superbly put together. Everything from the locations, to the acting and soundtrack - all excellent. Special mention for the visual effects; largely practical with a sprinkling of CGI in there, but they always convince. Director Fargeat seems to have an impressive knack for making her audience squirm, and the close-up nature of some of these scenes wouldn't be effective without cogent VFX; fortunately they never waiver. It is deliberately 'cleanly' shot, all bright looking with emphasis on primary colours, which makes the inevitable arrival of gallons of blood and gore all the more jarring and impactful. If you see a white location, you just know it is destined to be splashed with bucket-loads of grue.

It is a timely film, in the wake of the #MeToo movement. To have a female director producing a work that subverts the rape-revenge format, by having viewers initially leering over the female star but then viewing the world through her eyes is a quite unique thing and apt for this moment in history. While most of the film does follow the tradition of the genre quite closely, there are some explicit twists in there, including a conclusion that offers up THE role-reversal of all role-reversals, which when coupled with the superb technical film-making on display, make 'Revenge' one of the best examples of the niche in recent times. French extremist cinema at it's finest.