 Local opening date: July 31, 2009
Reviewed by Diane Carson
The narrative of writer/director Gotz Spielmann's Revanche unfolds quietly and methodically with astonishing twists and turns. Set in a village and rural area near Vienna, the plot follows the attempt by Ukrainian immigrant prostitute Tamara and her ex-con lover Alex to escape their unpleasant lives and their bullying brothel boss. A bank robbery that goes awry, retreat to the farm of Alex's grandfather and contact with policeman Robert and his wife Susanne living nearby- these elements converge in overlapping, restrained explorations of atypical characters in various states of emotional crises.
Enjoyably unpredictable, the four central, relatively isolated individuals clash physically and psychologically in a tightly wound story delivered with strong stylistic control and subdued but intense performances. Though Revanche unfolds without any intrusive, non-diegetic music, it is gripping for its entire two hours. I first saw the film at last year's Telluride Film Festival, where director Spielmann answered questions about the film's silences. He said, "I had a wonderful sound designer who worked with the film as though it were music. There is no wind or dog barking by chance. It's a kind of score." Complementing this calm, the camera seldom moves from its medium distance shots, often holding on empty rooms and constrained spaces devoid of bright color, an apt metaphor for these lives.
Characters walk in and out of these compositions. Spielmann said, "I like long takes, complicated shots, because it holds our attention. I want the audience to have time to see. There is a profound beauty in this form and style. Moreover, I don't want to judge my characters. A work of art is better the more interpretations it allows." Furthering this goal, Spielmann does not subtitle the few times Tamara speaks Russian, saying, "It's not needed. I want concentration on the melody of the lines and the atmosphere of the strangeness." On the title, Spielmann explained, "This word revanche is used in German, though it's a French word. It has a broader meaning than 'revenge,' more like getting a second chance. Like a chess game, if you lose, you say, 'Give me a revanche.' The English title should probably be 'The Second Shot.' "
Spielmann says, "At the end, there are apples on the grandfather's apple tree and one on the ground - it's a great metaphor. When you believe in life, it gets funny again." Though some viewers will bemoan the coincidences, Revanche is an intriguing, mesmerizing film. In German with English subtitles.
|
