What happens in 'Irreversable'?

Can anyone tell me what happens in the film ‘Irreversable’? I started watching it (it came highly reccomended by none other than Jonathan Ross, Brit film critic btw) but only managed to watch as far as the extremley graphic and savage facial beating with a fire extuingisher. Coupled with the spinning camera angle, the constant whirring noise, the freaky lighting and the fact that I have never seen anything so brutal in my life I had to turn it off. I would like to know what happens in the rest of the film so I can make a decision to watch the rest of it. I was surprised at how shocking I found this film - it was more graphic than footage of real executions and was more disgusting than ‘Animal Farm’ (not the Orwell film btw) I have a fairly hefty constitution when it comes to movie violence but this was too much, if you haven’t seen it and are going to I would prepare yourself for an extremley disturbing film. So, anyone out their manage to watch it all? Can you tell me if the violence is necessary to the plot and should I go back and watch it to find out for myself?

[Don’t read unless you want to know.]

The whole movie works backwards – chronologically, the discussion between the two asylum inmates is the last thing in the film, and the face beating is just before that. Before that, we gradually find out that Marcus is trying to find the guy that raped Monica Bellucci’s character. Her first scene is her bloodied face on a stretcher; her second scene is about 10 minutes long and is the most excruciating scene I’ve ever watched in a movie theater. Ever. Ever ever ever. She’s anally raped in real-time, then has her head smashed into the concrete floor.

Before that, we find out that she ditched out of a party early because her boyfriend was flirting with other girls, which is how she ended up alone. Before that, she and Marcus and his friend go to the party and discuss the trappings of civilization. Before that, she and Marcus are home alone and have sex. Before that, she’s by herself and finds out she’s pregnant. End of movie.

There’s conversation and logical segues throughout the film, but that’s the gist of the plot.

Also, you’ll notice that the guy who gets his head smashed in is not the guy who raped Bellucci’s character. Have some irony with that exploitation.

You forgot the most important thing… Monica Bellucci takes the Twins out for a spin.

thanks Interrobang, I have heard that the anal rape scene is very disturbing, what I want to know is do you think it is worth me going back to? Is it a film that, although disturbing, is worth watching? Or is it just pretentious french clap-trap?

Chavardz, while it’s true you get to see her naked it’s offset by the extremely brutal rape scene you must watch first. More then offset actually, the better word would probably be “overwhelmed”. I didn’t find her all that attractive in this movie. I -couldn’t- find her all that attractive. I guess what I"m trying to say is be prepared for a extremely graphic rape scene. Very brutal but at the same time very honest.

I thought it was a good movie but it’s not something I would recommend to (for example) my mother.

I know cletus, it’s sorta like the seen in monsters ball, only much much worse. You feel for her. I just menat it as a joke for the matrix crowd.

Yes, the rape scene is disturbing, very well played and must have been hell for the actors. However, I found the subsequent scenes (earlier in “real-life”) far more devastating since we get the opportunity to be enchanted by the beauty and sensuality of Bellucci in an extended party scene. Knowing her fate just slays you–she’s loving and vulnerable and appealing. Personally, the possibility of her pregnancy was just a little too ironic for my tastes. I also felt the film didn’t add up to anything except the banal observation that “time destroys all things.” Oh, really? Early in the film, it seems it might be a social commentary about the irreversible decline of a society into decadence but, honestly, it doesn’t fulfill that premise. Its lurid demimonde setting has no universal resonances to have much impact other than as a Grand Guignol-ish shocker.

Irreversible is truly a wretched film imho. After enduring a pretty hard-to-watch first half hour (gay club/spinning camera) the movie “picks up” around the rape scene and we see some fairly boring exposition before culminating with a flashing white light meant to send people into seizures.

Now I’m a fan of gore and what not, and enjoyed the grisly fire extinguisher scene, I also found the rape to be appalling.

But… this movie sucks… who would actually BUY this movie? As a rental I’d reccomend it for its shock value, but as a film itself, I didnt think it was very well made at all.

Does anyone know if the guy that got hit with the fire extinguisher was actually the rapist? Because I tried hard to recognize his face, but I could’ve sworn they killed the wrong guy.

This is like sometype of twisted version of a fanboy’s wet dream. They get to see that hot actress naked but they have to watch her get raped. Oh, the irony.

Read Interrobangs!? post (last sentence).

The camera is jumping around quite a bit at first, but with each new segment, it jumps around a bit less, until the rape scene. This rape itself takes around 7-10 minutes, and is all the more unsettling because it’s shown in a single, unbroken shot with a camera that is completely still. After that, the scenes tend to take place in long duration shots with a relatively still camera.

They guy who committed the rape is the one standing next to the guy who eventually gets killed with the fire extiguisher.

The scenes immediately following the murder show how the two men tracked down the rapist. The one who eventually kills the man in the nightclub is repeatedly telling the guy who gets his arm broken to calm down, and seems to want to let the police handle things; but since we know that he’s the one who killed the man thought to be the rapist, we know the whole time that he’s wanting revenge as much as the boyfriend, but doesn’t really have the initiative to get it himself.

This is played out in the scenes that occur after the rape, but earlier in time. The killer is Bellucci’s former boyfriend; she left him for her current boyfriend because he was always too controlled and introspective, and not passionate enough (ie, too much of a nice guy), while current boyfriend is more exciting and interesting (ie, a bit of a bad boy).

I’d say it’s worth the effort to get to the end.