Revanche (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

I saw this in the theater, but I'm excited to hear that it's going to be given the Criterion dvd treatment. It certainly deserves it for the depth and intrigue and subtlety of the film, and for the power of the visuals.

Alex and Tamara are in love. Unfortunately, there's little chance their love can work out. He's an ex-con working as a bouncer at the brothel where she turns tricks for a cruel and jealous pimp, who's not about to let her go and who would kill Alex if he found out. Hoping to make enough money to turn things around, Alex plots a fail-safe bank robbery, in which he thinks no one could possibly get hurt. He doesn't even bring a loaded gun. Things don't work out as he planned, however, and Alex has to take refuge at his grandfather's farm out in the country, where events take a truly unexpected turn.

The film opens with a powerful image that suggests the feel of the film that follows. A beautiful rippling reflection of trees in a pond at dawn (dusk?) is given an ominous sense by the lightly disturbing tones that hum softly in the background. Suddenly and loudly, the eerie calm is disrupted by a heavy object that is thrown into the water. The images of a tranquil forest, reflected in the trees, are interrupted violently by the splash and subsequent waves, until they gradually return to a semblance of their former look. Likewise, the uneasy peace of a small town is interrupted by the bank robbery, and the uneasy marriage of a childless young couple is further unsettled by the husband's tragic chance encounter with the criminals. It's hard to know in advance whether the easygoing peace will return.

It's a story that could have been played for drama and action and rising intensity and pace, but is allowed here to be above all about character, with a tension that builds naturally and without the need for artificial plotting or manipulative music. The acting throughout is strong, with special mention deserved by Johannes Fritsch, for what managed to be a both very physical and highly contemplative and reserved performance as Alex, but even the minor parts were perfectly casted and played extremely well. Gotz Spielmann brings a patient and masterful direction to this subtle and unique and mature film about love and longing and revenge and redemption. Images are carefully composed and beautifully lensed, and the delicate pacing of the editing is matched by a subtle use of music and a darkly comic undercurrent to the tragedy. Some viewers may want to know in advance that certain scenes in the film reflect a European sensibility about the body (i.e. there is abundant nudity and some sex). Still, it's all tastefully done and in the service of the story and of a remarkable film that is well worth watching.

The Criterion release will include:
-a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Götz Spielmann (with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
-a new video interview with Spielmann
-The Making of "Revanche," a half-hour documentary shot on the film's set
-"Foreign Land," Spielmann's award-winning student short film, with an introduction by the director
-the U.S. theatrical trailer
-a new and improved English subtitle translation
-and, an essay by critic Michael Wood

'Revanche' is a film that ends strong but begins ugly and vulgar, although there's no question that the life director Götz Spielmann portrays is exactly that. Because of its candid approach, some viewers may find the frank portrayal of a brothel disturbing, and even perhaps unnecessary for a film that is ultimately concerned with redemption and forgiveness - but in this case I believe it's justified. One of my usual complaints about film in general is the use of clichéd shortcuts that hand the viewer stereotypes instead of characters, and even though Spielman doesn't escape it completely, this film's reflection of prostitution transforms the character of Tamara from cardboard into a real human being, and is what enables the build-up for film's quietly compelling finish.

Alex, an ex-convict, works as a gopher/driver for the owner of the brothel, and, in secret, carries on an affair with Tamara, a prostitute who needs 30,000 dollars to essentially buy her freedom. He hatches a plan to rob a bank, thereby acquiring the money they'll need to escape their dead-end lives (I've yet to see this turn out to be a good idea). Unsurprisingly, the bank robbery does not go off as planned, and Alex must confront the dark corners of his nature and decide what sort of revenge is justified when the world doesn't go along with your desires.

I've purposely left out a lot while summing up the film because, even though the information is easily accessible, it moves at different pace and with so few conventional clues that it achieves a heightened unpredictability that I wouldn't want to ruin. Unpredictable may be too strong of a description, but the director does add a dose of uncertainty to a storyline that, in other hands, might have been numbingly safe and routine. As I mentioned, pacing has a lot to do with it, and this may turn off some viewers. There are stretches in the film where little happens - and even when the crucial moment arrives and Alex must decide what the rest of his life is going to look like, it comes with no warning and nearly off screen. An inattentive viewer may miss it completely.

I enjoyed this film a great deal once Alex began to deal with the aftermath of the robbery - and the entire movie was intelligent and un-condescending. Every time the director had an opportunity to do so, he treated the audience as if they were quite able to understand what was happening on screen, and didn't waste my time and patience by drumming every plot point into my head or spelling out every connection. Still, it did have some faults. Though random chance is definitely a factor in our lives, it's often difficult to accept on film, and this movie does indulge in it. Aside from that though, there was little to criticize. Cinematically crisp and striking, 'Revanche' delivers a resolution to impulse and fury that's told with both grace and dignity.

Although this film is not rated, it contains adult themes and situations, nudity, and frank sexual situations.

Call me jaded, but as someone who's studied film, been a film critic, and been a film enthusiast for years, one can't happen to notice that typically the Oscar for Foreign Language film goes to something "heart-felt" and "sentimental" versus "depressing" and "minimailist." (And I promise I won't rant about the insanely outdated, ridiculous system that prevents many of the best foreign films from even being eligible for a nomination.)

In a way, this one film, is two very different parts in both mood and tone. However, it is in fact, one linear storyline, that is separated by an event that occurs midway through the movie. And by the time, it's done, seemingly different as the two components of the film may be, the whole is quite impressive and unique.

While everyone likes (and awards) the flashy performances, the ones I always find most satisfying are the restrained, carefully measured ones. The lead actor here is singular in the sense that he is cold, hard, detached, and understated--as he should be--but he also some very intense emotional moments which are compounded upon impact by the fact that the viewer has become so accustomed to his usual demeanor.

Another unique component to this brilliant work, is that it has almost no music whatsoever. No score, only a few isolated scenes with music as a necessary component. It's all about the quiet moments, the words spoken, and the ambient nature sounds that sound rich, from even the most basic tv speakers.

"Revanche" has some rather bold narrative and filmic approaches to its relatively traditional minimalism, observationism, and very otherwise typically European film sensibility. It's a welcome fit to the Criterion Collection, and it would be a welcome addition to any cinemaphile's library.