Movie Review: High Tension
High Tension
My job happens to keep me on the bus for many long minutes of the day. In this time, I really don't have anything else to do but think. Recently, I decided that I should use one of these here blogs as a place to put up some of my reviews. On one hand, it gives me a chance to write down some of the ideas that I've had regarding critics, but also allows other people to engage in a discussion based on what I've written. I'll start off with a review of the movie Huate Tension (Aja, 2003; High Tension, US Title; Switchblade Romance, UK Title).
I've decided to split the review into two sections, the first will be a spoiler free critic of the overall picture, talking about what technical issues I can remember (some of these reviews will be written weeks after seeing the film). The second part, which will be after the cut, will be a more in depth analysis of the movie, full of spoilers. I'll focus on a small bit of the film to analyze, something that really stands out to me, and then post a few thoughts about other areas to analyze. Hopefully, this will stimulate conversation about the film, as I've found that there are few places on the web that encourage film analysis. Instead, I've mostly read crappy critiques that managed to completely skip over any social relavence the film may have had. Now: on with the review.
Aja set out to make a film about tension, and he succeeded on all levels. From the opening of the film, we are graced with a quickly ramping up of tension in many different forms, up until the final, climactic release at the end. Every element of this movie is used to build that sought after, visceral tightening of gut as the tension build. Every scene was smartly lit, clearly showing what needed to be seen, but masterfully hiding what shouldn't be. The color palette was stark and grainy, with harsh pale colors from the outset, moving to stark blues, grays and blacks. The acting was stellar, especially from Cecile de France, who had to carry most of the film on her own.
The film follows the story of two college girls, Marie (de France) and Alexia (Meiwenn), who head out into rural France to get away from the distractions of the city so they can study. Alexia's family recently (?) acquired a small farm (though they don't appear to actually farm), and the girls choose this to be their place of isolation. Their plans are brutally interrupted, however, as the very night they arrive, a strange man barges into the home and murders the family. Marie, having heard the assailant enter the house, manages to hide well enough so that he doesn't suspect her presence. After killing Alexia's family, the stranger kidnaps Alexia, and Marie manages to hide away in the stranger's truck. From the point in which the stranger shows up, the film focuses almost exclusively on Marie.
De France plays this role perfectly. She manages to convey the terror and fear that she feels without any hint of over exaggeration. The subtle changes in her breathing, the slight turn of her lips and the corners of her eyes, convey how twisted and terrified she feels far better than any bit of dialog. This type of role is difficult to pull off, since the actor has nothing to hide behind. She only had herself, no dialog to explain the situation, no other actors to distract focus. De France manages to bring us along with her as she goes from the aloof college student, to the terrified girl in the woods, and finally to the woman pushed just far enough to fight back with untold fury. The rest of the cast members have such small parts in the film that their performances are largely forgettable. Their lack of depth adds to their forgettability. Philippe Nahon plays the antagonist well, however the character is only ment to be creepy, brutal and gross.
The violence is minimal, though incredibly brutal when it happens. There are some very disturbing visuals when the killer first appears, and then later in the film, a length of barbed wire is put to devious purposes. For splatter fans, the film doesn't disappoint. However, some of the kills distracted from the overall feel of the film, and could have been handled better. This would be my strongest complaint about this film. Everything else was there, and well thought out. The splatter, however, seemed forced, and in two locations elicited a small laugh of absurdity rather than a gasp of terror.
This is a very good film to watch if you're into that hard emotional rush. There is no character development, and there doesn't need to be. The movie holds up on its own with the lack of growth in the main characters, save the horrible experience they've lived through. Additionally, there is a twist ending that has left a sour taste in many people's mouths. I detail that ending after the cut, and so won't make any of my own comments in my non-spoiler section.
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My job happens to keep me on the bus for many long minutes of the day. In this time, I really don't have anything else to do but think. Recently, I decided that I should use one of these here blogs as a place to put up some of my reviews. On one hand, it gives me a chance to write down some of the ideas that I've had regarding critics, but also allows other people to engage in a discussion based on what I've written. I'll start off with a review of the movie Huate Tension (Aja, 2003; High Tension, US Title; Switchblade Romance, UK Title).
I've decided to split the review into two sections, the first will be a spoiler free critic of the overall picture, talking about what technical issues I can remember (some of these reviews will be written weeks after seeing the film). The second part, which will be after the cut, will be a more in depth analysis of the movie, full of spoilers. I'll focus on a small bit of the film to analyze, something that really stands out to me, and then post a few thoughts about other areas to analyze. Hopefully, this will stimulate conversation about the film, as I've found that there are few places on the web that encourage film analysis. Instead, I've mostly read crappy critiques that managed to completely skip over any social relavence the film may have had. Now: on with the review.
Aja set out to make a film about tension, and he succeeded on all levels. From the opening of the film, we are graced with a quickly ramping up of tension in many different forms, up until the final, climactic release at the end. Every element of this movie is used to build that sought after, visceral tightening of gut as the tension build. Every scene was smartly lit, clearly showing what needed to be seen, but masterfully hiding what shouldn't be. The color palette was stark and grainy, with harsh pale colors from the outset, moving to stark blues, grays and blacks. The acting was stellar, especially from Cecile de France, who had to carry most of the film on her own.
The film follows the story of two college girls, Marie (de France) and Alexia (Meiwenn), who head out into rural France to get away from the distractions of the city so they can study. Alexia's family recently (?) acquired a small farm (though they don't appear to actually farm), and the girls choose this to be their place of isolation. Their plans are brutally interrupted, however, as the very night they arrive, a strange man barges into the home and murders the family. Marie, having heard the assailant enter the house, manages to hide well enough so that he doesn't suspect her presence. After killing Alexia's family, the stranger kidnaps Alexia, and Marie manages to hide away in the stranger's truck. From the point in which the stranger shows up, the film focuses almost exclusively on Marie.
De France plays this role perfectly. She manages to convey the terror and fear that she feels without any hint of over exaggeration. The subtle changes in her breathing, the slight turn of her lips and the corners of her eyes, convey how twisted and terrified she feels far better than any bit of dialog. This type of role is difficult to pull off, since the actor has nothing to hide behind. She only had herself, no dialog to explain the situation, no other actors to distract focus. De France manages to bring us along with her as she goes from the aloof college student, to the terrified girl in the woods, and finally to the woman pushed just far enough to fight back with untold fury. The rest of the cast members have such small parts in the film that their performances are largely forgettable. Their lack of depth adds to their forgettability. Philippe Nahon plays the antagonist well, however the character is only ment to be creepy, brutal and gross.
The violence is minimal, though incredibly brutal when it happens. There are some very disturbing visuals when the killer first appears, and then later in the film, a length of barbed wire is put to devious purposes. For splatter fans, the film doesn't disappoint. However, some of the kills distracted from the overall feel of the film, and could have been handled better. This would be my strongest complaint about this film. Everything else was there, and well thought out. The splatter, however, seemed forced, and in two locations elicited a small laugh of absurdity rather than a gasp of terror.
This is a very good film to watch if you're into that hard emotional rush. There is no character development, and there doesn't need to be. The movie holds up on its own with the lack of growth in the main characters, save the horrible experience they've lived through. Additionally, there is a twist ending that has left a sour taste in many people's mouths. I detail that ending after the cut, and so won't make any of my own comments in my non-spoiler section.
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