- Actors: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel, Jo Prestia, Philippe Nahon
- Directors: Gaspar Noé
- Writers: Gaspar Noé
- Producers: Vincent Cassel, Gaspar Noé, Brahim Chioua, Christophe Rossignon, Emmanuel Gateau
- Format: PAL
- Language English, French, Italian, Spanish
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Tartan
- DVD Release Date: 4 Dec 2006
- Run Time: 97 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00011FXI2
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 29,734 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
Irreversible begins with the closing credits running backwards before the film begins (or ends) with Marcus (Vincent Cassell) and Pierre (Albert Dupontel) being escorted out of a gay s/m club by the cops, Marcus with his arm broken and Pierre in handcuffs. The "story" proceeds to unwind in a series of single-take scenes that unfold Memento-style, with each scene giving more context to what we have seen previously.
Each scenario depicts actions, dialogue, incident, behaviour and circumstance that the lead characters might have wished didn't happen, ranging from extreme violence through awkward social situations to mild embarrassment. The central character (and possible dreamer of this whole what-if story) emerges as Alex (Monica Bellucci), who suffers the worst in a very hard-to-watch rape sequence in an underpass. Semi-improvised, the scenes all have attack and power as themes, with later/earlier conversational sequences that suggest life isn't all sexual assaults in the dark, showing equal cinematic imagination with the horrors. Arguably, this is not a film most would subject themselves to twice, but it is something that stays in the mind for days after viewing, sparking far more ideas and emotions than most wallow-in-nastiness pictures. --Kim Newman
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A film about male rage? A savage critique of the penis? A warning about the consequences of revenge? Not in my opinion. It's a film about gratification, lust and depravity, among other things. By some standards (conventional standards if you like) Marcus, Pierre and Alex are very depraved - their drinking, public graphic discussion of sex, Marcus' desire to sodomise Alex, and his drug taking, to cite some examples. Tenia takes it to a whole new level though and really tests the boundaries! It represents (to me anyway) a society in a state of total moral decay, from the more acceptable end of the scale (the party for example), through prostitution, the S+M gay club, to outright brutal rape and torture. We are left to make our own sense of the events and the characters. Noé makes no comment or moral judgement. I thought it interesting that the film company created for the production is called '120'. As in the Marquis de Sade's '120 Days of Sodom'? Surely. Anyone who is familiar with the behaviour and literature of the 18th century French Libertines will see this angle of personal pleasure weighed against the suffering of others, albeit the concept is taken to an extreme here. After the rape scene Tenia lays back and says 'awesome', reinforcing that the experience was an ultimate pleasure for him. An archetypal sadist! Sadly, far worse things than this happen on a daily basis throughout the world. This is a sordid modern tale indeed. I've given it 4 stars (how can you give a movie like this a star rating?) because technically it's very well conceived and shot (as other reviewers have discussed very adequately), but I'm not sure I liked it, my initial reaction was revulsion and disgust (I guess that's good!) but that is changing all the time now as I reflect on this movie... There is an argument that it shows the dehumanising tendency of unbridled lust, desire, vengeance and violence but the film could certainly also can be seen as graphic voyeurism. Sade reinvented for the cinema era???
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
THere are few films that actually make me sick to my stomach, and this is one of them. The violence is so graphic - there is one scene where you can count how many teeth a man loses as his head is slowly bashed in - that I simply had to fast forward it OFTEN. Really, it made me heave, near vomiting. Then, there is the horror at the center of the plot, the fate of a beautiful and happy young woman. Now there was a time in my youth when I would have relished my "reaction," feeling that such a film made me "experience" a new reality, etc. All the artistic longings - often nonsense in retrospect - of the inexperienced. Well, I am afraid that life has made me no longer want to see such things. I have had friends who suffered similar things and there is nothing to learn from it and no value is bringing it to the screen in my opinion. However, it does make the film controversial - look at the range of reviews here!
Because of the odd way that the film is edited, I am not revealing the plot here. Indeed, with the camera waving around in an attempt at avant garde technique, it added to my nausea. Nonetheless, the acting is very very good. Moreover, there are philosophical points throughout the whole thing and they are not totally pretentious, but add to the portrayal of life and love in the film. The chemistry between the actors is totally believable, as is the changes in personality.
Am I a bourgeois philistine for saying that it was simply awful to watch? Perhaps, but maybe I have just outgrown this kind of art thing. I think you can get deep philosophy and thoughtfulness without such total horror.
Not recommended.
Because of the odd way that the film is edited, I am not revealing the plot here. Indeed, with the camera waving around in an attempt at avant garde technique, it added to my nausea. Nonetheless, the acting is very very good. Moreover, there are philosophical points throughout the whole thing and they are not totally pretentious, but add to the portrayal of life and love in the film. The chemistry between the actors is totally believable, as is the changes in personality.
Am I a bourgeois philistine for saying that it was simply awful to watch? Perhaps, but maybe I have just outgrown this kind of art thing. I think you can get deep philosophy and thoughtfulness without such total horror.
Not recommended.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
After reading a quite a few reviews for this film it seems that there are many that have missed the point completely. I actually saw this film yesterday and honestly I cannot seem to shake it from my mind.Yes its true there are 2 main scenes, that once witnessed will stay with you for a very long time. That being said the few scenes that you see after the the initial violence is just as important to the story as are the controversial ones.
Someone mentioned that the rape scene would be completely unwatchable for a woman which I thought a bit misguided being a woman myself. Yes it is a very difficult scene to sit through but I think any decent,good human being would would feel the same thing regardless of gender. I will say though there is no actual way to prepare for this scene as I tried to do. I remember reading how 'Irreversible' had the worst scene of rape ever depicted on screen and automatically did not believe it as the same had been said for the scene in 'A ClockWork Orange' and also the original 'The last house on the left'. I personally thought that those 'scenes' were very poorly acted and so never actually felt anything for the character or what they were going through and in turn found the scenes completely laughable. This doesn't happen in this film. It completely lives up to the hype surrounding it. You will definitely have an idea of what to expect before the film begins but these ideals will be completely blown away within 20 minutes of watching.
Top marks must go to all actors involved especially Cassel, Bellucci and the guy that plays the part of the 'baddie' La Tenia. He plays his part so well that I don't think that I have ever greeted a character with such disdain and revulsion.
So to sum up if you appreciated all types of films, from the ones that make you laugh out loud, cry or absolutely terrorize the hell out of you, like I do and are always up for trying out something new then watch this movie and then watch it again to truly appreciate it. Then come on here and let us nosey parkers (me) know what you think!
Enjoy:0)
Someone mentioned that the rape scene would be completely unwatchable for a woman which I thought a bit misguided being a woman myself. Yes it is a very difficult scene to sit through but I think any decent,good human being would would feel the same thing regardless of gender. I will say though there is no actual way to prepare for this scene as I tried to do. I remember reading how 'Irreversible' had the worst scene of rape ever depicted on screen and automatically did not believe it as the same had been said for the scene in 'A ClockWork Orange' and also the original 'The last house on the left'. I personally thought that those 'scenes' were very poorly acted and so never actually felt anything for the character or what they were going through and in turn found the scenes completely laughable. This doesn't happen in this film. It completely lives up to the hype surrounding it. You will definitely have an idea of what to expect before the film begins but these ideals will be completely blown away within 20 minutes of watching.
Top marks must go to all actors involved especially Cassel, Bellucci and the guy that plays the part of the 'baddie' La Tenia. He plays his part so well that I don't think that I have ever greeted a character with such disdain and revulsion.
So to sum up if you appreciated all types of films, from the ones that make you laugh out loud, cry or absolutely terrorize the hell out of you, like I do and are always up for trying out something new then watch this movie and then watch it again to truly appreciate it. Then come on here and let us nosey parkers (me) know what you think!
Enjoy:0)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Almost unwatchable and not as clever as it thinks it is
**** Warning - spoilers ****
Irreversible is a very difficult film to review objectively. Read more
Irreversible is a very difficult film to review objectively. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Cartimand
Inexorable Fate
'Irreversible' is a descent into hell, told in reverse. That is to say, it begins at the end and ends at the beginning. Is it, then, the ascent from hell? No, not really. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Oliver Twist
...and the point is?
I doubt I have a lot to add to what has been said before but since it has been quite an experience I'll do it anyway. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Spazmo
Hard to watch - and to get out of your mind.
I have no hesitation in giving this film 5* but I understand some reviewers who felt it only merits 1*. It's hard to watch on two grounds: content and style. Read more
Published 7 months ago by J. R. Dersley
savage but very unclear and confusing
This film started at the end, and finished at the beginning. I personally think that this just made the film unnecessarily complicated and very confusing. Read more
Published 7 months ago by avid reader
Thought provoking and intelligent?
Love the concept of the film being in reverse but dear christ this film is dull. This is the 3rd Gaspar Noe film I have watched now and I have to say there is nothing thought... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Rich
A film with artistic merit..if you can stomach it
This film is difficult to watch, infact I actually fast forwarded the rape sequence as I found it too realistic and lengthy to endure (credit to the actors involved for what must... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. R. J. Everett
Brutally heartbreaking
The first 40 minutes are the most cruel ones. Actually, the movie is really sick and is not for everybody. So think twice before watching it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Lord Anon
Shallow and Pretentious
This film might be technically accomplished, but it is squalid and empty. This is because it is made by someone with the sensibilities of an adolescent. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Music Lover
Once is enough
I have owned this film for several years, but have only watched it once- that seems to be enough for now. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Dead Celeb
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