While we here in America have been bogged down with terrified tweens, the foreign market has been ripping us a new one. And recently if it had not been for the foreign fare, I would have been hopelessly lost as a horror fan. Domination of the field has been hopping the globe for decades with first the Italians, then the Japanese and now the French who just may prove to be the sickest of the bunch. One of my favorite phrases to toss around with the
as cowards back in the early days of the war, I challenge you to look into their celluloid world and make that argument stick. Anyone can wave big weapons and call themselves warriors but it takes true bravery to look into the face of conventional mainstream thought, flip it the “bird” and go about your business of bringing true horror to life.
Boss is “there is something seriously wrong with the French” but we mean that with
love because “seriously wrong” is seriously right in our little gore-
I can't quite wrap my mind around why we have to keep going beyond Hollywood for quality horror. But I can wager it has something to do with guts and the lack of them. For anyone who blasted the French
While the catalog of French horror is not as vast as others, they have been on the upswing in recent years and hopefully don't plan to slow down any time soon. The notable Daughters of Darkness (1971) gives us a glimpse of what they are capable of, but more contemporary examples are what I am referring to here. Beginning with Aja's acclaimed Haute Tension, which received an American release two years after its native distribution, we were blown away by the ferocity and unflinching violence we witnessed on screen. It was refreshing to see a film that held nothing back. And while I have my own issues with Aja, in general and with that film especially, I cannot deny the impact it had when I viewed it in the theater. I was pleasantly surprised to see a film with subtitles get such wide release but had no idea that I was witnessing the beginning of something spectacular. For in the midst of all the Japanese horror releases and American remakes of the same, the French were stealing up to us in the dead of night with every intention of hacking our cinematic values to tiny bits and dancing in the pools of blood that form in the aftermath. Bring it on!
Now as further examples I give you Ils (2006), which I like to refer to as the home invasion film done right; Sheitan (2007) which has been accused of messing with your mind by every review I've seen and I concur; Frontiere(s) which was denied its release as part of the 8 Films to Die For in 2007 due to its NC 17 rating but still managed to earn the telltale packaging and À l'intérieur (2007), my personal favorite until recently. Each of these movies have something in common besides a sexy accent. They are all gripping, all brutal and most of them thought provoking to boot.
I list À l'intérieur (Inside for those of us who took German in high school) as my favorite until now. I'll get to the why behind that in a moment but for now let me run my mouth about that one for a sec. When I reviewed this movie, I referred to it as “artistic gore.” That was a statement meant to attempt to define what I saw before my eyes as the mostly off white palette of the setting was systematically showered with blood. But please do not confuse this with the mindless splatter we get from the likes of those that leave us gasping for breath in a sea of red. The sheer violence within is a means to an end, meant to do much more than bring up our lunch. When you witness what you do and still find yourself mired in consideration of the film maker's intent you realize you have just watched a quality horror film. To watch this movie is to set yourself up for some real reflection. Who is the true protagonist and why do we think as such? I never thought I would see something so jolting, so jarring, so quick to make me question my very beliefs. And then I was blessed with Martyrs.
Unfortunately for the American audience, Martyrs won't see a local release until later this month. And while I will be the first to admit its not for the casual viewer I beg you to watch it if you dare. Within we are once again struck with a blow to the gut determined to discover how much we can stand before we throw up our hands and hit STOP. The violence is unrelenting and my stomach was in knots through the entire running time but in a good way. And again I found myself questioning things I never expected to question on a daily jaunt through the genre. I expect that many will sing its praises but many
more will give it hell. I also harbor a sneaking suspicion that director Laugier will revel in its controversy. It is easy to imagine him wringing his hands in anticipation of what the Americans will have to say once it hits the market. I can see him now, giddy about stirring up the masses. I know I would be.
And now we are facing yet another entry. The upcoming Mutants could go either way. It could continue blazing the trail that its siblings have struck with bravado and daring or it could find itself sinking in a pit of mediocrity while trying desperately to keep the pace. That remains to be seen. And hopefully so do many other entries from the French. I'm hoping for the best because I am loving the journey so far.
I am also hoping that soon our own studios will catch on to the fact that we require more of our horror. Yes, I enjoy the gore when it means something and yes, I like to discover my innards are twisted after viewing a horror film. But my favorite aspect of any film is its ability to make me dissect it repeatedly in my mind, revisiting scene after scene to uncover the mysteries within. Is it possible to be an expatriate of film? If Hollywood doesn't learn from our foreign friends, I may just be the first.
