A Nightmarish Tale Told Backward
‘Wrong’ is an explicit motion picture by the name Gaspar Noé depicting a tragic event that happened in Paris in reverse. Detailed from the aftermath of a brutal assault to the moments before it, the setup forms a powerful, tense build up pitting the series of events to the climax. The film leaves time’s achingly nonlinear certainty as both a tease and a warning, and Noé’s vision is dominated by sexual assault, retribution and the perpetual spin cycle of human suffering. The black frame of joy alternating with the general savagery builds a satirical view of the generation that kills and revenges itself.
Monica Bellucci does an excellent acting job, reminding the audience of Alex’s sexual assault before the film moves to revenge. Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel are equally impressive as Marcus and Pierre who have become obsessed with the act of revenge. The real-life emotions each actor imbues in their respective roles add to the film’s gravity.
The director is daring beyond measure as is the film. His decision to tell the tale from the end to the beginning is quite brave and does enhance the psychological and emotional experience, making every scene to become that much more ominously symbolic.
The function of the music was composed by Thomas Bangalter from the Daft Punk and it features an electronic sound designed to mimic the cacophony of the story and the characters’ feeling of hopelessness.
The work of the cinematographer Benoît Debie This and the minis Camera work makes the audience feel as if they are in the thick of things, although this can be rather discomforting… Ambience inclusive of house interiors and streets of Paris depict the cinematography’s mirroring of darkness as unavoidable. They provide each set piece with an oppressive atmosphere that rather faithfully corresponds to the world of the characters.
The concept of special effects in the ‘Irreversible’ is rather conservative and is used only where necessary, especially in the scenes of the two violations. They add tremendously to the eeriness inherent in the whole motion picture.
The work on the motion picture was rather elaborate in terms of editing, as the employed technique of reverse storytelling has been rather nontrivial. Every scene is carefully crafted, and as the story unfolds backwards, many themes and subtexts are presented to the audience.
The pace at which the film unfolds is continuous due to the reverse narrative style; the audiences are required into active participation in viewing the initially bewildering but compelling stories presented in ‘Irreversible’.
The use o f dialogues in this film is limited but significant; the audiences are taken through the crucial emotional and psychological states This rawness of the discussions brings added emotional impact to the movie.
Despite the fact that ‘Irreversible’ is undoubtedly an example of an artistically courageous work, some viewers may find the realistic description of a sexual assault shocking. Its structure is non-linear, which somehow confuses the audience, despite all possible film-making experiments being aimed at developing the viewers’ emotions towards the characters. Its unapologetic approach to the storytelling, as well as the emotional and visceral nature of the film, makes it intense on many levels but it remains one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of the year. The movie puts the audience face to face with some of the greatest questions of time, sin, and existence.
