The filmmaker Gaspar Noé presented at the Venice Film Festival a new "reverse" version of his sulfurous Irreversible , which was scandalous 17 years ago for his rape scene, a film that "no one today would dare to finance ", according to him.
In 2002, Gaspar Noé shocked the Cannes Film Festival with this very disturbing film with Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel, starting at the end and telling a revenge after an unbearable rape for ten minutes. During the screening in Cannes, about twenty spectators had some discomfort. "No one today would dare to finance, or perhaps even play in a film like that," said the Argentine director.
"It's still a violent film, that's for sure"
The new version presented out of competition at the Mostra, entitled Irreversible inversion intégrale , puts the narrative of the film in chronological order, but does not detract from the most brutal scenes. "When Gaspar Noé called to tell me to watch the film, which he went back in chronological order, I was really curious," said Monica Bellucci. "And when I saw it, I realized that the film had not aged at all, that it was still a very strong film, and maybe this new version of the montage puts even more emphasis on that. duality between beauty and violence, "she added.
The Italian actress admitted however that "it remains a violent film, that's for sure". But "we also see all the beauty and poetry of the relationship, the desire to have a child, friendship, complicity, intimacy ... And at the same time, we see the most degrading part of the relationship. violence, sexual abuse, domination, sexual crime, murder instinct, "she continued.
Gaspar Noé praised the performance of his lead actress in this film, stressing "having never seen such a charismatic actress with so many balls". "It's horrible to say that she has balls, especially in relation to the subject, but with so many guts, the Americans say 'She has guts', but her performance is incredibly daring." he says.
Mostra tainted with many controversies
The selection of this new version of the film at the Mostra this year has sparked criticism, in the post #MeToo context, and in full controversy over the presence in competition of Roman Polanski, still pursued by the American justice for the rape of a teenager in 1977, and the out-of-competition selection of American director Nate Parker, acquitted in 2011 of the rape of a student. Feminists have also regretted the low number of women directors in competition this year, only two out of 21 films in contention, blaming the Festival for not evolving.