Irréversible is not an easy movie.
This movie is (in)famous for it's violence. The rape scene is truly unforgettable in it's horror, and also the scene in the gay bar is far from pleasant to watch. But it is not the sensational type of movie violence, it definitely serves a purpose.
First of all, the gruesome rape scene. Rape is one of the most horrible things a person can experience. Watching the ten minutes Noe uses to show the real face of rape is still nothing compared to the real thing. But Noe does an admirable job in shocking us all, confronting the viewer on a brutal way with the horrors Alex has to go through. Not only that, he makes completely clear how she is dehumanized by her attacker, who ventilates his anger and frustrations towards 'beautiful women' by destroying both her soul and body.
But honestly, I think that he is not the only one treating her as an object. Even though both Marcus and Pierre do mean well, they both have a selfish streak when it comes to Alex. The highlight in this, how diabolic this may sound, is the revenge Marcus wants to take. From the moment he sees his girlfriend being carried away in an ambulance, comatose, he focuses on his own emotions, and thus revenge. We can't really blame the guy, but if you look a bit deeper than the surface, what is he really doing for his girlfriend? While his friend Pierre constantly tries to drag him to Alex in the hospital, he doesn't want to hear about anything else than his revenge. When we go a bit further down the story, on the party, Marcus is also totally busy with himself. He never cares about Alex there either, instead he is focused on snorting coke and other women. Pierre again tries to come up for Alex, and asks Marcus to stop being so selfish. After all, why did he take her to a party when all he wants to do is focusing on the attention other women give him?
Pierre, at the same time, has his own reasons for being so nice to Alex. Yes, he still loves his ex, but he is also still frustrated by the fact that he couldn't satisfy her sexual needs in the past. There is a long scene in which he tries to find out what Marcus has that he doesn't have. At one point, Alex says: 'It's not the woman who can not come, its the guy who can not f__k' But Pierre hardly listens to her explanation, he is still too much focused on his own frustration.
At the party, the main thing Pierre wants to do is watching Alex dance. He is protective towards her, and keeps on calling Marcus 'a primate'. Obviously, he considers himself to be much more than that. But personally, I wonder if he is that much different. Yes, he is protective, yes, he wants to be the savior and yes he wants to go to the hospital. All seemingly very nice things. But at the same time, he doesn't really listen to what she has to say, and he wants her to dance purely for his own pleasure. Now, nothing is wrong with the latter, but in a movie like this, for me it enhances the feeling that Noe keeps on pointing towards the objectification of Alex (women).
Like in the opening sequence, the old guy tells about his time in prison for the abuse of his daughter. He sees nothing wrong with it himself, as she was so cute. His friend tells him: 'There are no bad deeds. Only deeds.'
Alex tells Marcus at one point. 'I am not an object.'
Personally, I think this is the message that Gaspar Noe tries to give to us. I think Irreversible is an incredibly strong movie. The use of violence, the way the camera works, the symbols being used in many small parts of the movie make this film to a true piece of art. No, it's definitely not an easy movie to watch. But for the ones who are strong enough to handle the subject, it is more than worth it.
This movie is (in)famous for it's violence. The rape scene is truly unforgettable in it's horror, and also the scene in the gay bar is far from pleasant to watch. But it is not the sensational type of movie violence, it definitely serves a purpose.
First of all, the gruesome rape scene. Rape is one of the most horrible things a person can experience. Watching the ten minutes Noe uses to show the real face of rape is still nothing compared to the real thing. But Noe does an admirable job in shocking us all, confronting the viewer on a brutal way with the horrors Alex has to go through. Not only that, he makes completely clear how she is dehumanized by her attacker, who ventilates his anger and frustrations towards 'beautiful women' by destroying both her soul and body.
But honestly, I think that he is not the only one treating her as an object. Even though both Marcus and Pierre do mean well, they both have a selfish streak when it comes to Alex. The highlight in this, how diabolic this may sound, is the revenge Marcus wants to take. From the moment he sees his girlfriend being carried away in an ambulance, comatose, he focuses on his own emotions, and thus revenge. We can't really blame the guy, but if you look a bit deeper than the surface, what is he really doing for his girlfriend? While his friend Pierre constantly tries to drag him to Alex in the hospital, he doesn't want to hear about anything else than his revenge. When we go a bit further down the story, on the party, Marcus is also totally busy with himself. He never cares about Alex there either, instead he is focused on snorting coke and other women. Pierre again tries to come up for Alex, and asks Marcus to stop being so selfish. After all, why did he take her to a party when all he wants to do is focusing on the attention other women give him?
Pierre, at the same time, has his own reasons for being so nice to Alex. Yes, he still loves his ex, but he is also still frustrated by the fact that he couldn't satisfy her sexual needs in the past. There is a long scene in which he tries to find out what Marcus has that he doesn't have. At one point, Alex says: 'It's not the woman who can not come, its the guy who can not f__k' But Pierre hardly listens to her explanation, he is still too much focused on his own frustration.
At the party, the main thing Pierre wants to do is watching Alex dance. He is protective towards her, and keeps on calling Marcus 'a primate'. Obviously, he considers himself to be much more than that. But personally, I wonder if he is that much different. Yes, he is protective, yes, he wants to be the savior and yes he wants to go to the hospital. All seemingly very nice things. But at the same time, he doesn't really listen to what she has to say, and he wants her to dance purely for his own pleasure. Now, nothing is wrong with the latter, but in a movie like this, for me it enhances the feeling that Noe keeps on pointing towards the objectification of Alex (women).
Like in the opening sequence, the old guy tells about his time in prison for the abuse of his daughter. He sees nothing wrong with it himself, as she was so cute. His friend tells him: 'There are no bad deeds. Only deeds.'
Alex tells Marcus at one point. 'I am not an object.'
Personally, I think this is the message that Gaspar Noe tries to give to us. I think Irreversible is an incredibly strong movie. The use of violence, the way the camera works, the symbols being used in many small parts of the movie make this film to a true piece of art. No, it's definitely not an easy movie to watch. But for the ones who are strong enough to handle the subject, it is more than worth it.