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Irreversible

Irréversible

France

2002

94 Min
Color
2.35:1
French, Spanish, English, Italian
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
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DIR Gaspar Noé

PROD Brahim Chioua, Vincent Cassel

SCR Gaspar Noé

DP Gaspar Noé, Benoît Debie

CAST Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel, Philippe Nahon, Jo Prestia, Stéphane Drouot, Jean-Louis Costes, Titof

ED Gaspar Noé

PROD DES Alain Juteau

MUSIC Thomas Bangalter

SOUND Jean-Luc Audy, Marc Boucrot, Valérie Deloof

Cannes (In Competition), Telluride, San Sebastián (Zabaltegi-Pearls), Toronto (Visions), São Paulo, Stockholm (Competition): Bronze Horse, Athens, Helsinki, Sundance (Frontiers), Mar del Plata, San Sebastián (Cutting Edge of French Cinema), Cine//B (Focos Gaspar Noé)

Synopsis

Irreversible. Because time destroys everything. Because certain acts are irreparable. Because man is an animal. Because the will to get revenge is a natural impulse. Because most crimes go unpunished. Because the loss of a loved one destroys like lightening. Because love is the source of life. Because premonitions don’t change the course of things. Because time reveals everything. The worst and the best. –Cannes Film Festival

Director

Original

Gaspar Noé

Baldheaded Franco-Argentine filmmaker Gaspar Noé has made some seriously disturbing films during his relatively short career. He has also won several critical awards and festival acclaim for each of his works. Noé made his first film in 1991 with the short Carne, an introduction to the character of the Butcher, played by Philippe Nahon. An angry man, the Butcher seeks revenge on whoever hurt his disabled daughter. After working as an actor, cinematographer, writer, and director on some other projects, Noé made his first feature film, I Stand Alone, continuing the story of the Butcher after he does time in jail and abandons his daughter. In 2002 he received major public notice and outrage with the controversial Irréversible, mostly due to the much-publicized eight-minute rape scene. Starring real-life married couple Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel, the film is a brutal look at male violence shown in reverse chronological order. —allmovie guide

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Jordan Kaltz

16Jun13

i appreciated this a LOT more second time round

Picture of Neo-Gloom

Neo-Gloom

9Jun13

A film that goes to envelope-pushing lengths to make you sick while simultaneously leaving you in awe over Noe's craftsmanship. However, I've never believed there was much more to him / this piece than provocative imagery. Whereas the depravity of a film like "Salo" is like meat covering a skeleton of dynamic social commentary, "Irreversible" lacks such a skeleton. It's just a pretty, bloody pile of meat.

Stupid Ludmila and locust furnace like this

Picture of Igor Ramos

Igor Ramos

31May13

Very strong movie, that can get a little confusing not only because the story is being told backwards but also because some scenes don't take off immediately where the ones before ended. Still, its a punch in your stomach, extremely violent and raw. The rape scene and the beating up in the club are still a little carved on my mind.

Picture of Aurora

Aurora

22Apr13

I came with the rape scene, is amazing!

  • Picture of fleurare

    fleurare

    3May13

    You came during the rape scene?

  • Picture of Aurora

    Aurora

    3May13

    Yes.

  • Picture of Risselada

    Risselada

    18May13

    I came at the end and left at the beginning. It's a backwards film.

  • Picture of Zachary W

    Zachary W

    8Jun13

    This is fucking sick. You're making rape jokes? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given the outrageous misogyny of this film.

  • Picture of fleurare

    fleurare

    9Jun13

    this is so gross

  • Picture of Aurora

    Aurora

    9Jun13

    I'm sorry if you think this is gross. I am so free to say that this scene turn me on as you are free to say that I am sick and this is gross.

  • Picture of fleurare

    fleurare

    10Jun13

    gross

  • Picture of Zachary W

    Zachary W

    12Jun13

    There are few things I hate more than people hiding behind erroneous "free speech" rants to justify supporting violence against women. What happens if somebody who actually has been raped or experienced other forms of sexual violence comes across this and gets triggered? Have you even considered that?

  • Picture of Risselada

    Risselada

    12Jun13

    I'm wondering Aurora, are you supporting violence against women? I know a lot of people get turned on by things that they know are bad. Zach, just because she admits it turns her on doesn't mean to say she is supporting it.

  • Picture of Zachary W

    Zachary W

    12Jun13

    Even if she doesn't purposefully support it, making public comments like that helps to create an atmosphere that enables violence. Sure, a lot of people get turned on by problematic things, but that doesn't mean that they should be aired out uncritically in public. Somebody who may feel victimized by comments like Aurora's is going to have that experience regardless of the initial intention of the comments.

  • Picture of Risselada

    Risselada

    12Jun13

    I agree with that. I'm still curious though.

  • Picture of Aurora

    Aurora

    17Jun13

    What is wrong with both of you? I said I came with the rape scene because I like violence in sex, that doesn't mean that I support violence against women or snuff movies Hahaha!, this is CINEMA, is a SCENE of a FILM, is not real life and if I turn on watching this, is my problem. I am free to say what I think and is STUPID to say "making public comments like this helps to create an atmosphere that enables violence" HAHAHA c'mon, say that to Tarantino. Be tolerant with other people beliefs and ways to express about cinema and sex.

  • Picture of Risselada

    Risselada

    17Jun13

    That's what I was guessing you meant. It's good to clarify I think.

  • Picture of Zachary W

    Zachary W

    19Jun13

    I don't know what more to say. The fact that rape culture is being circuitously defended through liberal humanist language of "tolerance" is horrifying. Legitimate violence in sex requires explicit and rigorous consent, and nobody who comes across your arguments has given any such consent.

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Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.

Twitch Top Kills: IRREVERSIBLE

By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
One of the most intense moments of one of the most intense films ever made, Gaspar Noe makes the Twitch Top Kills list with a little help from a fire extinguisher. Nothing fun about this one ………
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

Twitch Top Kills: IRREVERSIBLE

By Twitchfilm.net on September 1, 2010
One of the most intense moments of one of the most intense films ever made, Gaspar Noe makes the Twitch Top Kills list with a little help from a fire extinguisher. Nothing fun about this one ……
→ read on Twitchfilm.net

Lists

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Reviews

Displaying 4 of 14
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Call me Sadistic

By Catarin​a Gomes on July 31, 2011

This is the only movie I’ve ever rated 5 stars. The reason is quite self-centered: it’s the movie I wish I had came up with. It’s choking and controversial, just my type of story. There’s no middle…  read review

Arresting.

By Publius on September 27, 2010

‘Arrete! Arrete! Arrete!’ Monica Bellucci shouts throughout the movie, and not only during ‘that’ scene. Mais, il n’arrete, jamais. The film just keeps going, showing us what we want to see, but at…  read review

Irreversible

By Gino on June 24, 2010

Irreversible is not a Film for the weak of mind, for the weak of heart, and especially not for the weak of stomach. It’s not a Film for the impatient, or the anxious, and it’s frankly not a Film fit…  read review

A Couple of Thoughts, Just Because

By janders​on on May 4, 2010

There are many angles from which one could review this film, and I’m really not approaching it from any of them, as this isn’t a “review.”

Perhaps some could write off this film based on a simple…  read review

Forum

Displaying 6 discussion topics.
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Worthwhile reading original philosophy texts?

90 posts by 10 people 11 months ago

IRREVERSIBLE (Gaspar Noe, 2002)

216 posts by 28 people about 1 year ago

Most painful scene ever? (spoilers)

6 posts by 3 people about 2 years ago

(OT, kind of) If you could replace the soundtrack of any film with one B-52s album, what would it be and why?

3 posts by 3 people almost 3 years ago

IЯЯéveЯsible

9 posts by 8 people about 3 years ago

movies that shake you to the core

100 posts by 75 people about 3 years ago