Revanche

From the moment the film starts we are made aware of what awaits throughout the film. The opening scene is a still lake. The reflection of trees fall across the water. Within seconds, a rock shatters the peace. The ripple effect of man's interruption on the natural world. From here, we are treated to the battles of man vs. nature, evil vs. good, city vs. country, etc.

The film is shot beautifully. We are constantly treated to brightly lit shots of landscapes: natural and man-made. At times, we stare at one wall of a hotel room, or a man leaning against the aged brick of a home, or the trees as they empty themselves of leaves. There is a constant reflective presence to the shots. At times, I was made to think of the art of Edward Hopper. All those people sitting and staring off at the world around them. The directory of Revanche, Gotz Spielmann, is showing us what we look at when we space out of reality.

The plot of Revenche is both small and epic. An ex-con tries to run away with his prostitute girlfriend. A police officer tries to deal with the stress of his job and his wife deals with the aftermath of a miscarriage. Both couples are connected by an old man. The grandfather to the ex-con and a neighbor to the cop and his wife.

The role of the grandfather seems trite. He wanders in and out of shots. Lost in the background. Speaking to the spirit of his deceased wife. This aged man represents the calmness. The middle ground to the struggles of the other couples in the film.

The film deals with various issues- religion, revenge, love, sin, age, etc. Basically, the film covers all topics any great piece of art should speak to. And, the film does all of this very well.

It is hard to say too much of the film without giving anything away. So, I have kept my thoughts abstract and brief. But,the build up of suspense is lovely. I was not let down. This is a film of quiet power and intense beauty.

A+