The French film "Revenge," directed and written by Coralie Fargeat, is categorized under the genre of action and suspense but to me, that is quite an understatement. The movie is one that only needs to be seen once as the gory, barbaric scenes leave a lasting impression on you forever. Going into the theatre, I expected the movie to be gruesome in the sense that it is a rape-revenge film but I did not anticipate the intensity and bluntness of it. The movie begins with Jen, a confident, sexy, young woman, enjoying her romantic getaway with her boyfriend Richard, a married French man. The plot takes a twisted turn when Richard's two best friends, Dimitri and Stan, arrive for their planned hunting trip. After Jen is viciously raped by Stan and pushed off a cliff by her own boyfriend in attempt to keep her silent, she sets out on a mission with one goal in mind: to seek revenge. These cruel actions against her instill a blood thirsty desire for payback which makes her unstoppable and relentless throughout the film.
"Revenge" is a well thought out film that includes only about 7 minutes of dialogue, giving each scene a strong purpose. Fargeat's choice of symbolism and cinematic conventions express big themes that lie within the film which engages the audience to think more deeply about the objectification of women and self empowerment. The film is meant to make the audience feel uncomfortable as the topic of rape and exploitation of women is a not an easy one. Fargeat achieves this by including gory, vivid scenes of open wounds, violence, mistreatment, and rape that make much of this movie painful to watch.
Throughout the film, Fargeat demonstrates the "male gaze" and over sexualization of women with her choice in cinematic conventions. She frames the men as being "manly" by associating them with hunting and assertiveness which exemplifies their male dominance. Another effective convention is in the filming angles. Throughout the film, Jen is constantly filmed from low angles, with focus on her butt while in her underwear or bathing suit, showing off how the three men view and fantasize about her. These cinematic conventions set the scene for the rest of the movie as it progresses to evaluate the idea of women self empowerment.
Coralie Fargeat describes feminism as "a path to peace and towards a world where everybody has an equal place and nobody can take advantage of someone based on gender." Fargeat uses "Revenge" to express her point of view and entice individuals, specifically men, to change their perception of women being weak and defenseless. At the beginning of the film, Jen is portrayed as a vulnerable, sensual, attention seeking young woman but by the end of it, she transforms into a powerful, strong fighter who does not back down from anything. Jen's self made phoenix tattoo across her abdomen is a symbol of rebirth and immorality exhibited throughout the film, strengthening the point of self empowerment. As the film progresses, Jen's hair color changes from light to dark, illustrating the progression of her strength. This film mirrors an intense cat and mouse chase as most of it revolves around the unpredictability of who's going to be the first to kill. The setup of this movie is more like a cartoon than cinema which did a better job of exemplifying Jen's determination to gain justice for the wrongful acts made against her. The progression of her strength demonstrates women's toughness and unwillingness to give up on the fight for respect and control over their own life.
In the last scenes of the play, Fargeat makes Richard seem weaker than Jen in order to hammer in the point about women empowerment. When Jen finally hunts him down, he is naked which is a strong sign of vulnerability. This is ironic as their entire relationship is for physical pleasure and nothing more. Richard's nudity made him weaker much like how Jen's did in the first scenes of the movie. The three men believe it is justified to take advantage of her because of the little clothes she wears and the way she acts but boy did they pick the wrong girl to mess with! Jen, like many other women in the feminist movement, have a mindset of not giving up until justice is served.
With this film, Fargeat powerfully addresses the difficult problems women face today with objectification but in a extremely gnarly and hypnotic way. She includes many elements of surprise with violence and LOTS of blood to keep the audience engaged and uncertain of what's going to happen next. If you are interested in this action packed, slaughter fest, then get ready because you are in for a wild ride.
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