Irreversible is a 2002 French art-house film directed by Gaspar Noé. It is notorious for its shocking violence, explicit sexuality, and unflinching depiction of the consequences of revenge. The film is structurally innovative, with the story unfolding in reverse chronological order, starting with the aftermath of the brutal rape and gradually revealing the events that led up to it.
The film's narrative structure is designed to create a sense of disorientation and dislocation, as the audience is forced to piece together the events of the night in reverse order. The film's themes of violence, revenge, and the destructive nature of cause and effect are explored through a series of long, unbroken takes, disorienting camera movements, and disorienting soundscape.
The film's standout scenes include a brutal rape and beating that lasts nearly ten minutes and a scene in which a man's head is smashed in with a fire extinguisher. The film's shocking violence and boundary-pushing content stirred up controversy when it was first released, with some critics calling it a masterpiece and others dismissing it as gratuitous shock cinema.
Despite the controversy surrounding the film, Irreversible has since gained a reputation as a work of bold and uncompromising cinema that pushes the boundaries of what cinema can and should do. It is a challenging and unforgettable film, not for the faint of heart, that forces the viewer to confront the darker aspects of human nature.