Coralie Fargeat’smaximalist body horror,The Substance, has proven to be a divisive title. Some laud it as a feminist horror masterpiece while others believe it to be a perpetuation of the male gaze. Either way, everyone is talking about it, which makes it the perfect time to revisit Fargeat’s directorial debut: 2017’sRevengeis an incredibly bloody tale of betrayal and, you guessed it, revenge, of the most ruthless and enjoyable variety.Matilda Lutz’s Jennifer, a mistress of Richard (Kevin Janssens), murders him and his criminal partners after being raped and left for dead, impaled on a tree branch.Revengesucceeds in taking Jen from a helpless victim to a tougher-than-old-boot heroine, reminding the viewer of transformative female heroes like Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) inThe Terminator. However, whilst the action inRevengeis incredible, with brutal violence and copious amounts of blood,it’s Fargeat’s direction that leaves a distinct stamp on this film. Her use of color, as well as the exploration of the Lolita and rape culture, makes for a fascinating and engaging film not just on the action surface, but many layers underneath.
The color contrast of the vibrant orange dessert and cool blue sky above is very reminiscent ofMad Max: Fury Road, with Fargeat stating in an interview withFlip Screenedthat she wanted the desert to become a “character in itself,” like inGeorge Miller’s dystopian thriller. The wide, open landscape mixed withthis color contrast really frames the characters in this lawless wasteland, which adds a delightful violent cheerfulness to Jen’s violent revenge against Richard and her attacker, played byVincent Colombe, who cameo-ed inThe Substancein another womanizing role. We believe she has every right to murder these people in the desert, because that is where they stripped Jen of her rights. Even the local drug peyote is what triggers Jen into herTom HardyMax mode, a silent survivor. Once again, it’s almost likethe desert is giving Jen the push to keep going and fight back. It’s compelling to watch because we see Jen so fun-loving and bubbly in the first act that when that disappears and leaves only her instincts remaining, we immediately understand the threat she now poses to these men, as her goal has become as clear as Max’s was: survival.
10 Movies To Watch Like ‘The Substance’
These movies are substantively similar.
Fargeat Explores the Idea of the Lolita in ‘Revenge’
Coralie Fargeat’s exploration of the Lolita, a seductive woman, is fascinating and a strong message that forces people to focus on the issues around rape culture. Fargeat explained to theFinancial Timesthat she wanted to explore whyJen is allowed to be “an object of desire if she wants” but that doesn’t mean she should be sexually assaulted. It’s a firm stance on sexual violence that challenges societal norms surrounding women that are sexually open. Sadly, there are constant accusations that victims of sexual violence somehow did something to put themselves in a position of danger, whether it be their outfits, dancing, banter, or just smiling at someone. It puts the focus on the victim’s existence, rather than the criminal’s; whereas inRevenge, Fargeat forces us to stay focused on the actual crimes that have occured by keeping the pace so high. We never have a moment to breathe or point fingers,all we know is a horrible injustice has occured and Jen is going to do anything to right this wrong.
‘Revenge’s Biggest Strength is How it Addresses Men’s Role in Sexual Violence
There is so much to praise about Coralie Fargeat’sRevenge. Rarely does a film succeed in effectively exploring such sensitive topicsandmaking the audience cheer for an action hero throughout. However, the best part is how this film, about the rape and revenge of a woman,never feels like a lecture against men. Rather, it demonstrates exactly what is atthe core of the issueRevengeexplores, the idea that it doesn’t matter if there are men who don’t rape women, as many apologists seem to argue means women shouldn’t be scared of men. If men like Richard and Dimitri (Guillaume Bouchède) do nothing, or even side with the attacker, they might as well be the enemy, and it forces a desperate, violent retribution in the end. All the men in the world that didn’t hurt Jen aren’t there to help and that’s not their fault. She is utterly alone, so she needs to go to extreme lengths to survive men who are characterizations of many real-life predators.
From the bright color contrasts and commentary on rape culture, you’re able to see lots of directorial traits inRevengethatmakes Fargeat’sThe Substancesuch a captivating movie. By displaying good characterization of each member of this limited cast, and the fact Fargeat uses the male gaze and turns it back on itself,Revengeliterally shows, rather than tells, the director’s intentions.
Revengeis available to stream on Shudder.
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