This film became notorious because of the torrid rape of Monica Bellucci, but the truly disturbing thing about "Irréversible" is that this rape scene is probably the least violent and the least explicit scene in the film. The entire beginning of the film (chronologically, it's the conclusion - the whole movie is backwards, like "Memento") is unbelievably violent. Not only are characters totally out of control, crashing each other's skulls, but the camera itself is totally nuts, moving in all possible directions, upside down, sideways and backwards. So when the rape comes and the camera is actually still (for once), it feels strangely peaceful and calm. We feel sorry for Monica (though unlike in "Baise-moi", we are spared the explicit penetration shots), but we are also grateful that the sickening visual rollercoaster ride is over. But then, after the rape, we are treated to several really explicit sex scenes, with Monica and her real-life husband Vincent Cassel. Unlike during the rape, we can then see all of Monica, for a very long time, fucking Vinz in all positions imaginable. What a body! And what courage for such a successful actress to appear in such an explicit scene, with her ass and her bush frequently visible on the screen. The pic was directed by Gaspar Noé,
l'enfant terrible of the French cinema, who also directed an unbelievably violent (though less explicit) masterpiece, "Seul contre tous" (the lead actor from that film - what a face! - appears briefly in "Irréversible").
