Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible Damage

Why do Gaspar Noé films make you sick? Why is Irreversible such a great film? Why did he tell the story backwards? What's up with his camera work? All that and more, with his 2002 film, Irréversible.

There were so many details I wished to point out but couldn't. Perhaps on patreon, but either way, enjoy!

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Extra Credits:

Timestamp
0:00 Introduction
1:05 Time - Reverse Chronology
1:24 Camera
2:02 a) Rotation
3:22 b) Zoom Effects
4:45 c) Tunnel Scene
6:10 Vertigo
6:54 Audio
7:22 a) Score
8:58 b) Ghost Frequency
9:54 Structure
10:50 Deleted Scene
11:43 Time - Style
12:26 Foreshadow/Callback
14:03 Irreversible
15:00 Thank You

#GasparNoe
#Irreversible
#Film

[SpikimaMovies]

Phew, that was damaging to make. What's your favourite Gaspar Noe film?
Get an extended 30 day trial of MUBI at mubi.com/spikimamovies

[viljamtheninja]

"I watched all Gaspar Noë's films back-to-back"
-Something only an insane person would say

[rotekaiserin]

Irreversible was one of the most horrifying movies I ever watched. Not because of the blood, the crazy cameras, the gore.
But just because of that one scene in the underpass. Because girls, we all have been to places like that in our life, feeling unsafe, paranoid, easy prey. For me this was spot on - and I never want to see this movie again.

[seifhashem]

There is a fascinating detail that nobody talked about in the underpass scene!!!

About midway through the scene we could see a silhouette of a man coming in and we immediately think may be he will come into rescue, but he simply goes back the way he came!!!! Alex doesn’t see him but we do, we are the ones who are supposed to feel the hopelessness of that situation we, the audience, who really got assaulted in this scene. An incredible detail.

[ItsAMalkavianThing]

This movie definitely wants you to feel a bit of what brutal trauma could feel like and it's insanely impactful.

[munkhtuvshinmt]

Noé's work is often associated with the concept of "cinéma du corps" (cinema of the body), focusing on the physicality and rawness of the human experience.

[alexisdiaz]

I have always been fascinated by the artistic vision of Gaspar Noe and also the originality of his films, but I would never watch Irréversible again. It’s the kind of movie that you only experience once.

[garbagebin]

Man the tunnel scene was one of the most traumatizing things I've seen in a movie honestly. The cruelty is unreal. Especially the part where he beats the sh*t out of her for no reason, what a sadist. It's just horrible and utterly disgusting.

[goldinreid]

I remember watching this film and being slightly amazed at how insane the first half was and then how, frankly, boring the second half was. Then I started thinking maybe that's the point; To have us realize that the boring parts (as in, the mundane days of our lives) can actually be the most beautiful and sought-after parts depending on how you tell the story. Enjoy the boring days, people, because who knows what could lie ahead.

[RaHeadD]

Also the worst part is they get the wrong guy. He gets away with what he’s done which makes it more depressing but also realistic. As well the conversation at the start of the film is very important about good and bad deeds. One man insists there’s no such thing as good or bad deeds but deeds. If it brings you pleasure and joy is it bad...of course what we seen in the tunnel is bad.

[_elevenofspades]

You pointing out the “breathing” of the camera shots and the way they move counterclockwise to show the reverse chronological order of the scenes literally made my jaw drop 😳

[TheWeekIReview]

This was the first movie I saw that I "liked" and also knew I never wanted to see again. While a lot of those feelings dulled over time and I've ended up seeing some movies I swore I never would again... this one's just as strong as it's always been.

Obviously the first half is brutal and the middle scene is one of the most unpleasant things I've ever watched, but it's really the second half that gets to me, because you're seeing every single mistake they make knowing exactly where it will lead, and I was sitting in my dorm room wanting to shout "NO DON'T! STOP!" in a way that I never do during horror movies.

[spiralations]

"Take the underpass, it's safer."

[Daviwini]

Your content is just BRILLIANT.
My favourite Noé's film is absolutely Enter the Void, so immersive an traumatic.

[lev]

I had read something online about this movie that I had found pretty interesting, about how it plays with the rape and revenge genre by showing the story backwards.
In the rape and revenge genre, we can distinguish 4 stages : introduction, assault, search for the assaulter, and revenge (and eventually a 5th one showing the afterwards). The usual emotional way the spectator goes through in this genre will be : they get to know the victim, build empathy for them during the introduction. Then, the assault scene will activate them emotionally making them angry, because "someone" they know is being attacked. Then, they are implied and motivated by the search for the assaulter, and the revenge feels deserved and is appreciated by the spectator, as it is a bad character getting what they deserve.
SPOILERS
With Irreversible, we start with this very violent and graphic revenge, we build no empathy for Marcus and Pierre since we don't know what motivates them and they just look like some angry and agressive dudes, amplified with these musics and sound that makes you anxious and nauseous that were explained in this video. then, the search for the assaulter doesn't catch our interest, since we already know who he is and how he will be punished, and once again, we see an angry and agressive guy, assaulting a witness because he is upset that she speaks spanish and not french and assaulting a taxi driver while calling him racial slurs, but this time Pierre is "on our side", trying to reason Marcus and convince him to go to the hospital see Alex, wich makes us even more frustrated that Marcus keeps going. When we found out about what happenned to Alex, the scene is gruesome, her face is barely visible under the floods of blood and we are told that she is in coma. It's immediately followed by this assault scene, and as we still have these horrendous images in mind (clever point), we see this scene of extreme violence, and we are somehow in the same position as Alex : we are being forced into an unbearable situation, that we can't stop, that is never ending, and that will stop only when the one submitting us to this situation will decide so. We are sitting there powerless to help, and already knowing the terrible consequences of this. So when we see these characters being happy, having fun and loving each other, we feel nothing but sorrow, and even if the film ends on the most hopeful and joyful note, we can't help but superpose the image of this blood maculated face on the smile of this woman finding out she is pregnant.

[TheGrades]

Irreversible is the first film I finished and thought, “I wish I hadn’t watched that.”

[Matt.C.K]

Honestly the first scene in this film in the club is probably the most anxiety inducing thing I've experienced in a movie. So disorientating, intense and depraved.

[TJThomas]

Absolutely brilliant take. So good to see someone who understands what Noe was doing with this film. It is so constantly misunderstood and over-criticised.

[angelav]

This is a movie you watch one time and then never again, but I highly appreciate the absolute horror of having to watch everything that happens, the camera never pulls away and forces you to face it.

[atalapepperdew]

So thankful you discuss Noe films. They are absolutely amazing, and you're Outlook on films truly ads to the whole surreal experience