Irréversible (2002)

France 97m, Colour
Director: Gaspar Noé; Cast: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel

Irréversible is a story which begins at the end and works backward in short segments like Memento (2000). In addition to the non-linear nature of the film, the art direction, colour, score and camera techniques mirror the events which are being depicted, starting with the search for a rapist which ends in the destruction of someone’s face with a fire extinguisher whilst the camera swivels and turns to the low pulsing beat within the claustrophobic confines of a gay BDSM club. As each successive segment of the story passes, it also reveals the basis for each of the previous scenes, including the brutal rape of a woman who is later shown as the happily pregnant girlfriend of fire extinguisher wielding killer. Though heavily criticized for its depiction of violence, Irréversible is different from most violent movies as it does not intend to entertain, but rather to simply tell what amounts to a most unforgettable story (Klaus Ming June 2013).