Times Up

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By Tom Pacak

In the wake of hearing horrific accounts of sexual assault in the #metoo movement, a French revenge fantasy rape film seems a little unnecessary. For its due, “Revenge” was released at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival a month before Harvey Weinstein was exposed of being Hollywood’s biggest sexual predator (a surprise to nobody). Now being released in America, “Revenge” comes out in a time we need it most. While the film is extremely violent, it is mostly a film that is full of hope and possibility. It is surprisingly satisfying watching the female protagonist Jennifer (Matilda Lutz) enact revenge on her evil captors.

In a killer directorial debut, Coralie Fargeat knows how to treat Jennifer as an object when we first meet her. She wears skimpy pink clothing that makes her look like a vulnerable piece of eye candy. Her sleazy millionaire boyfriend, Richard (Kevin Janssens), only sees Jennifer as a sexual advantage while Jennifer sees him as a financial advantage. The two hide their secret relationship by flying out to a deserted mansion in the middle of the desert. It turns out that Richard is a married man, who believes his money makes him capable of having affairs. The two socialites feed off of each other by having sex and boozing by the pool. This quick ordeal is suddenly interrupted when Richard’s hunting buddies Stan (Vincent Colombe) and Dimitri (Guillaume Bouchède) show up to hunt.

Once these two show up, things get extremely awkward for Richard and Jennifer. While Richard goes and runs an errand, Stan sees a great opportunity for getting in bed with Jennifer but she quickly brushes off his advantages. When Richard asks, “Why you’re not into me?” she tells him, “I don’t like short guys.” This Napoleon complex is then exposed in Stan who in retaliation violently rapes Jennifer. Dimitri opens the door while this horrendous act takes place and slowly closes it, Dimitri turns up the volume on the living room TV to drown out Jennifer’s screams. Deeply traumatized, Jennifer tells Richard what happened to her, Richard berates his friends but doesn’t really help Jennifer.

After this, the unthinkable happens and Jennifer sets out for revenge. Jennifer is somebody who has experienced trauma but must go from flashy rich girl to badass warrior to survive. Jennifer commits justified acts of violence that she thought she would never commit.  Fargeat uses symbolism to show this transformation by having Lutz wear pink in the beginning then wear a black bra when hunting her prey. The performance that Matilda Lutz gives is a mostly silent one, which shows the complex road she goes down is one of transformation and realization. It's hard not to root for her on this journey! 

Coralie Fargeat’s film is mostly stylish and full of beautiful images. Fargeat uses the location of the desert to show that isolation and possibility are your best allies. Will these scumbags find Jennifer or will our wounded warrior get justice? The film’s conclusion suggests hope for Jennifer. Hope is key when going through terrible traumas like sexual assault. "Revenge" is an entertaining film that resonates a powerful message for people to come forward.


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Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars 

Comments

  1. Roderick AllmansonMay 14, 2018 at 4:50 PM

    I almost saw this at the Cleveland Film Fest. I need to catch it sometime

    ReplyDelete

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