Revenge ★★★
THERE is nothing subtle about French revenge thriller Revenge.
From its religious symbolism to extreme close-ups and massive blood-letting, this story of a woman raped, bashed and left for dead only to rise and seek vengeance is a full-throttle experience.
It’s also quite a troubling film in the way it portrays the female lead as initially a demure temptress and then an almost super-human avenging angel.
For half the film she is wearing very little, whether it’s during the lead-up to the crime against her or wandering the desert looking like Raquel Welch in 10 Million Years BC.
Before you jump to conclusions, the film is directed by a woman, Coralie Fargeat, who I think was seeking to subvert the sub-genre in taking the male version of a female vengeance fantasy to the extreme.
While I don’t think Fargeat fully succeeds in that endeavour, she does deliver an exciting, bloody and constantly eye-catching thriller featuring two strong lead performances and inventive presentation of the Moroccan location.
Italian actress Matilda Lutz plays Jen, girlfriend of Richard (Belgian Kevin Janssens). Looking sultry and seductive, she alights from a helicopter in slow motion to join Richard at a secluded holiday home on the edge of the desert.
It seems clear they have been in a comfortable relationship for some time, despite the fact that she is aware Richard is married.
The idyllic weekend is suddenly disturbed when two of Richard’s friends also arrive. Stan (Vincent Colombe) and Dimitri (Guillaume Bouchede) are there to join Richard on a hunting trip, a plan Jen wasn’t aware of but doesn’t initially seem to bother her.
During the night the foursome drink and take drugs and Jen dances seductively with Stan. The next morning, while Richard is out, Stan attacks her.
The events that follow are extremely well presented with some inventive visuals, striking cinematography and strong action, including a tension-filled final encounter.
The script, however, is uneven to the film’s ultimate detriment. There are some interesting, visceral moments to Jen’s plight and resurrection, but there are also too many inconsistencies requiring supension of disbelief, particularly her ability to combat three seasoned and ruthless hunters.
While the location is stunning and great use is made of it for specific sequences, the geography related to the character movements is also confusing .
In the end, even though it’s hard to put the gender politics aside, Revenge is still an extreme and exciting watch.