Revanche (2008)
Revenge takes a surprising intersection in this meticulous and meditative thriller drama
7.6
Movie
Austria
German
Crime, Drama, Romance
2008
GÖTZ SPIELMANN
Andreas Lust, Hanno Pöschl, Irina Potapenko
121 min
TLDR
I've never watched a revenge film this slow and meditative.
What it's about
To keep his prostitute girlfriend from being reliant on her pimp, ex-convict Alex stages a robbery, but fails to pull it off as local policeman Robert nearly catches him. After he escapes and starts a new life in a new village, Alex befriends his new neighbor Susanne, leading to an unexpected encounter from the past.
The take
Given the name, Revanche seemed to be a revenge thriller, and to a certain degree, that’s correct, but the way writer-director Götz Spielmann frames the plot makes it feel much more like a naturalistic character study of the way love and violence walks hand-in-hand, leading to a tragedy that shifts its thrill each time ex-con Alex is forced to make a change. It’s a surprising portrait. It’s one that is tense with permeating silence and no added score, with the camera still and lingering by the door. It’s slow, unfolding within the mundane. And it’s existential, with the way these characters actively try to change their fate, but only lead into even more difficult issues. Revanche is a refreshing take of the titular theme.
What stands out
So many woodworking sequences.
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