Much has been said about the rape-revenge genre over the years, ranging from the violence to its questionable sexual politics, but if there’s one really big problem inherent to the genre – it’s the limitations. It’s all there in the name, rape and revenge; there’s not a lot of room for surprises. And that’s the first obstacle that Revenge has to overcome. It’s the first film from French writer/director, Coralie Fargeat, and it’s about Jen (Matilda Lutz), an American socialite and mistress to a wealthy (and married) man, Richard (Kevin Janssens). They’re out in the desert to have some fun, and he also plans on doing some hunting later with his friends, Stan (Vincent Colombe) and Dimitri (Guillaume Bouchede). When Richard goes out for a bit, leaving her alone in the house with those friends, she gets raped by Stan. Richard finding out about it doesn’t end up helping the situation in her favor, so she runs. Unfortunately, she ends up on the edge of a cliff, where Richard pushes her off, getting her impaled by a tree, presumed dead. But she later wakes up, gets herself out, and the guys come back after hunting, realizing that they have to find her, and make sure she doesn’t live to tell the tale.
Like I said, to “reinvent” the rape-revenge genre is a damn near impossible task, and I think Fargeat understands that, so she decides to go full blown pulp with it. As soon as Jen is impaled, gallons of blood spills all over the ground, and it becomes clear the kind of vibe that she is going for. It uses the frame of a rape-revenge story to also bring in survival and action elements, as Jen tries to survive out in the desert, deal with her injuries, while also having to fight against the three men who are out to finish her off. The results are rather gruesome to say the least, but still pretty awesome.
Fargeat brings a real visceral energy to the film. The camera captures gorgeous images that range from lonely landscape to gruesome closeups, and the color saturation is cranked high up. She even brings in a few trippy imagery that is really fun and add to the gonzo mood, which is accentuated by a really pitch black sense of humor. The synthy score is the cherry on top of all this. It creates an effect that is sort of like an assault on the senses, but it perfectly encapsulates the mindset of our heroine. And while there is certainly a throwback element in the backbone of the film, everything else about it feels fresh and absolutely vital for this moment in time.
Admittedly, even a feminist lens being applied here may not be enough for someone who isn’t already into gory genre fare. It doesn’t shy away from the pulpy, B-movie nature of it, it’s not interested in elevating or dumbing it down, as much as it is providing a new perspective that a female director might bring to the table. It just wouldn’t be as striking and evocative if it was made by a guy. The tiny details in writing and performance before and after the rape sequence (thankfully not lingered on), leaves a huge impression, and it makes the eventual comeuppance so incredibly satisfying.
Revenge is pretty simple and straightforward on the surface, but it’s far better than it’s near un-Google-able title would suggest. It breathes some much needed life into the rape-revenge genre, especially in the devilishly clever ways Fargeat co-opts and subverts the male gaze in the way she frames Jen versus how she frames the men. It has a great lead performance from Matilda Lutz, who brings a quiet and brutal physicality that isn’t unlike Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance in The Revenant (except you know, this is way better). Though the hour and forty-eight minute runtime might seem like it’s pushing it, once it gets going after the first act, it’s moves fast, and it’s compelling as hell. Corolie Fargeat showcases a genre savvy flair in her filmmaking that is bold, expressive, surprisingly nuanced, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.