Calvaire (The Ordeal) (V)
| release date | October 3 2006 |
| studio | Palm Pictures |
| director | Fabrice Du Welz |
| writer | Fabrice Du Welz, Romain Protat |
| starring | Laurent Lucas, Jackie Berroyer, Philippe Nahon, Jean-Luc Couchard, Brigitte Lahaie, Gigi Coursigni, Philippe Grand'Henry, Jo Prestia, Marc Lefebvre, Alfred David, Alain Delaunois, Vincent Cahay, Johan Meys |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
2 Comments
Let me first say that I had very high hopes for this film when I rented it. This film let me down in a huge way, and in many ways.
My main gripe with this film is the story. I found it utterly pointless. It makes no sense, and explains nothing. It starts off well, building up some tension, and you can sense the beginnings of something going wrong for Marc. But when the plot (or lack thereof) begins to unfold, it becomes ridiculous. The strange innkeeper Bartel knocks Marc out, cuts his hair and puts him in a dress, and calls him by his wife’s name (who left him years back). The very strange people from the nearby village want him (they think Marc is Gloria as well) too. And, my friends, that is the entire story. Nothing else is explained, nor is an attempt made to make any sense out of what is happening. Is everybody there just totally whacked? Is there something deeper at work? Well…you’ll never find out.
On another note, the acting in the film is awful. The acting seems forced, and the emotions are fake. It’s hard to feel sorry for Marc and his ordeal because you don’t feel any connection to him. You don’t feel any connection to any of the characters, for that matter. The only thing I felt while watching this film was annoyance, as I kept waiting for it to get better, and it didn’t.
This is one of those films that you either like or don’t like. Just a wierd movie with a few unanswered questions. Very little gore and blood for some people. Worth watching once
Calvaire is a movie with no plot and no story development, but that’s not necessary a bad thing. If you love movies where everything is eventually explained and you have to have your conclusion, this is NOT the film for you. If you like artsy films with beautiful cinematography, then give Calvaire a shot.
Pros: Original, cinematography and overall “weirdness”
Cons: Leaves a lot up in the air, does not have the tension or eeriness that I have come to expect with French films.
Marc Stevens is a dirty slut!! What a sick and twist ride this one was. A young and popular local singer leaves the little town that adores him for a Christmas show when an unexpected turn for the worst takes place. After his van breaks down, Marc winds up in a little town… hmmm, let’s call it “Deliverance”…run by Sheriff Bartel and deputy Boris. You could smell creepy from the moment he arrived, and what transpires throughout the movie is one that has to be seen. A very solid and disturbing movie. I recommend this one to fans of Deliverance/Texas Chainsaw Massacre and hell even Psycho.
I thought this film was really well done. The townsfolk where a very intregal part in adding such a twisted atmosphere to this film. Shit really starts to hit the fan and spiral downward during the last 15-20 minutes… hang on it gets to be pretty out of control. I always appreciate films with some what of a climactic buildup, I thought this was really well executed in this flick. A little more blood and I would have entered this gem in my collection, but it was entirely fulfilling.
I dont understand why people always need every little thing explained to them. fuck those dipshit watch this movie. life is crazy sometimes and you never know why fucked up people do fucked up shit.
This is a one time deal to watch type of movie and I guess it would have that Deliverance type of feel too it….I guess they don;t have enough women in that town so animals are the next best thing or a guy will do…I really didn’t like the movie…..the look was good I like the scenes of the country side look.
Good movie!
If I was into this type of film (whatever that type may be), I’m sure I’d like it, but it was just too goddamn weird for me. Though I did like the scene in the bar where all the hicks started dancing. Made no fucking sense, but I laughed anyways just for the sheer craziness.
It’s worth at least 2 and a half skulls from me since I’m sure in the genre of weird shit movies, this is right at the top.
I went into this film with an open mind and came out satisfied. This proves that a movie doesn’t have to go crazy with gore and violence to get its message across. I though this movie was extremely disturbing and genuinely creepy. How refreshing!
foghorne is right.
Anyway a pretty good movie. Great acting and creepy athmosphere.
This movie felt at times like the Texas chainsaw massage.
This movie definitely lived up to the hype. I saw this film shortly after it’s release in the US. I have to say I was disturbed and curled up into a ball in the corner of my living room, saying ‘No…no…say it could never happen!’ over and over again.
This film takes pride of place on my top ten dvd shelf.
A popular attractive singer finds himself in hell.
This is one dark, creepy film which although the plot is generic, the film is outstanding.
It is becoming clear to me that the best horror movies are that of the french.
The cover attracted me to the film and im glad to say, i was not let down.
Its on the edge of your seat stuff, a must for the movie watcher who likes to admire works of art.
Watch it and you will be glad you did.
great movie.
A man driving alone out in the middle of nowhere encounters extreme terror after his car breaks down and he is “rescued” by a town full of insane psychopaths.
what else do you want from movie?
i thought tath this movie was going to knock my socks off but, it was a total let down. nothing happens! sure it’s a little creepy, and you get into it at times because you want to know what else has happened. but nothing really happens, and because of that this movie sucked!
Familiar setup, but a different take on the usual capture/torture movie–a little of that happens, but then the focus is on the village cult that has a weird jealousy for another’s “wife”. Speaking of the cult, the man-dance at the town hall was way out there…kinda eerie and goofy, but effective in a weird way. Cold, grey, and backwoodsy setting was cool–fit the mood of the strange vibe going on. Mostly enjoyed watching Calvaire, but not one of my favorites. I’ll give it a pos review for being oddly cool and different (although I wish I new what made the inbred crew tick).
Damn creepy, fucked up and darkly humorous. Does a commendable job creating a feeling of impending doom and the locales are used to there full advantage, unfortunately the film builds to a dull climax and worse ending.
Don’t believe the hype such a shit film.
Another complete waste of time. Holy god. I like atmospheric, creepy films as much as the next person. I don’t need all blood and guts and Hostel and Saw crap to make me like a film but for the love of god I need something to happen. Better than the utter waste of time, Sheitan, but damn near as pathetic.
He reminds me of a French Job from Arrested Development. Is the awful lounge singing meant to soften the blow when he gets got? Marc is sad that he does not want to have sex w/ the old lady. Marc has no idea that there are backwoods crazypeople like there are in Texas. He should have known when the guy told him they had to be quiet on the way to the Inn. His guide runs off into the night after he arrives at the Inn. French Michael Emerson can’t find his dog Bella. “Don’t go down to that there village!! Thems people be evil”. I really like the lack of score. I think the only music has been his lounge singing. Innkeeper really seems to covet Marc’s van. He almost reverent towards it. Strange goings on in the shack w/ a pig. They have a delightful evening of jokes and songs and then in the morning…Bartel is gone and Boris still can’t find Bella. The camera itself seems unwilling to see some of this stuff. Bartel has his enthusiasm back now! Thanks for the involuntary sex and haircut, Marc!. Boris ain’t such a bad dude. 7 kids in red raincoats. The piano dance scene is amazing!. A That 70s Show camera-circling tribute, only with crazy people. Again, the camera doesn’t know where it should be. The french love the camera to circle above the action. I am consistently rooting for the evil people. Hiarious slow-mo chase through the snow.
Great film! Creepy and even a bit funny at times. Almost a little to disturbing to watch at points.
This is truly one of the most absurd, brutal and simply brilliant movies of the last few years, another great European movie.
The French always shock me in the quality of horror films they produce. France really know what horror is about and produce some of the most disturbing and grisly films I have ever seen. “High Tension”, “Frontiers”, “Martyrs”, “Inside”, “Seven Days”. All of these films are different in their style and storylines, but they all share two things in common, they’re French and they are some of the best horror films to ever grace our screens. And now we can add “The Ordeal”. I don’t know why it took me so long to actually get hold of “The Ordeal” but this Christmas I thought that I’d finally get my hands on it just to see if it is as good as the rest I’ve listed. And I can safely say that this is one of the best horror films I have ever seen.
“The Ordeal” should be a horror classic. It’s one of the scariest, disturbing and unique horror films I have ever witnessed. It is so intriguing and expertedly executed and also very well acted. I also think it’s important to watch it without knowing much about it, don’t read any reviews or watch any clips or trailers, all you need to know is it’s about a singer’s car who breaks down and he goes on quite a terrifying ordeal which is complete demented brilliance. I’ll try not to spoil things too much, but if I were you I wouldn’t read this review either.
I loved “The Ordeal” and would put it up there in my top 10 horror films, just for it being genuinely really scary. What makes everything so terrifying is that Marc Stevens is the only sane person we meet throughout the entire film, he’s someone who we can relate to, but he can’t relate to anyone else. As soon as his car breaks down their is this fantastic feeling of dread that carries on and increases throughout the film, as things begin to get even more insane.
“The Ordeal” also doesn’t pull stops. It’s not afraid to go the extra mile to shock, yet it can still shock without showing any violent imagery. There are some sequences in “The Ordeal” that will always stick with me, I know it will be a film i will never forget and will dfinitely be revisiting more than once! It feels like their are so many iconic moments, and it should be a 5 star horror classic!
It is also amazingly shot, it feels very realistic despite its often outlandish behaviour, thanks to the use of long drawn out shots, as well as a genius use of camera work during the dinner which takes dizzying intensity to a whole new level. You can also feel a lot of sympathy for the main character who just seems like a regular nice man who really does not deserve any of the extreme abuse he recieves. Everyone is crazy except Marc Stevens, combining this with long shots of the outside country, you get a really terrifying feel of isolation.
It can often feel quite funny, and I can imagine a lot of people laughing at what is going on, but for me I found the unnatural actions so absurd and disturbing that I couldn’t do anything but feel petrified like the character! The writing is spectacular and combines a whole mix of new and vibrant ideas that are incredibly original. Sometimes it throws in moments that are never explained or mentioned which makes for very disturbing viewing, like the randomn people who stand in the background in red hooded coats, or the really disturbing villagers dance in the pub.
I do feel that I need to talk about the ending. “The Ordeal” comes to a rather inconclusive and abrupt ending and I didn’t know how to take that. At first I thought that it brought the whole film down and it deserved a proper closed narrative, but then I thought that it ended perfectly on a rather disturbing note. I was expecting a big twist or explaination for why the villagers behaved like they did but their wasn’t one, which only adds another big stroke to why “The Ordeal” is really so scary and disturbing.
I know I’ve gone on quite a bit here, but right now I am really in love with this film. It is beautifully shot with some perfect cinematography and offers an extremely twisted, disturbing narrative that is sure to haunt your mind and nightmares. Basically to me it’s a horror classic and is basically horror perfection. It is completely gripping, highly original and quite simply unforgettable. I can’t wait to watch “The Ordeal” again.
It may not have the best story, or the best characters, or the best of anything; but I still found myself admiring Fabrice Du Welz’s “Calvaire” a whole lot, and consistently to boot. This is one of those films that tries hard enough to succeed, in spite of its shortcomings (and I assure you, there are many), and the end result will either repulse you with its “awfulness” or surprise you with how genuine it is. A lot of loving craft went into the picture and I respect that; it all pays off. Welz has made a chilling thriller that truly aims to distress its audience. At this point, it isn’t a matter of how much you love or hate the movie; it’s how disturbed you are.
Normally, I wouldn’t like this approach, but there’s something about the way in which Welz goes about staging all three acts of his film. It’s the story of pop singer Marc Stevens (Laurent Lucas) who is leaving a show at a retirement home when his car breaks down somewhere deep in the woods; and he finds himself stranded there, searching for help. Eventually, it comes his way in the form of a strange man searching for a lost man; and it is this same kind but quirky guy that leads Marc to an Inn not far from where his car remains. The Inn is run by a man named Bartel (Jackie Berroyer); who appears kindly, or at least kindly enough to tow Marc’s car to the premises and attempt to fix it up a bit.
Marc stays a few days; a few nights. Bartel is comforting and nice; but there’s work to be done. The car needs repairing, and so do Marc’s emotions, which are in a tangle. To ease himself of this burden, he takes walks around the local and surrounding areas; troubled only by an instant in which Bartel warned him of a nearby village – telling him never to approach it. When Marc fails to listen and makes his way to the village regardless of Bartel’s warnings; there is a dramatic turning point for the story that comes in the form of a scene depicting ritual-like bestiality between man and pig.
Oh, and that’s just the beginning of the weirdness that is soon to unfold. The story keeps getting stranger…and stranger…and oddly, a little more complex; as it goes on, of course. Since I’m hoping that a good few of you reading are curious about the film and wish to pursue and ultimately see it, I will not go any further in describing the story; because going further would mean spoiling a lot of the nasty surprises present throughout the remaining portion of the story.
I like this movie because it does not cheat its audience. There’s always a foreboding feeling of dread from the minute Marc hops in his van and hits the road; and Welz is very peculiar in how he builds suspense. He builds it through characters, dialogue, location, visual style, the off-kilter lack of a musical score, and horrors that have yet to reveal themselves. This is not – and I repeat, NOT – a horror movie; but more-so a quiet, deceptive, engaging thriller that does indeed have some thrills, some chills, and some scares. This is a film that makes its mystery known before it’s even revealed; yet it’s made with such taste and style that we don’t call it “cheap” or “disappointing”. Or maybe that’s just me being opinionated; because I’m told that not everyone respected the ordeal while it lasted.
While I’m kind of sad that this isn’t a great film; I’m also glad that it isn’t a bad one either. I imagine that it could have been better had it have been given a stronger opening scene (it begins with Marc singing to some old people; there were probably many other mapped-out choices in terms of how to begin the film, and I’m sure they were all better than the final pick) and more interesting, multi-dimensional characters. However, it’s got enough genuine tension and skill put into it that I can push those things aside and recommend it to those willing to trudge through some thick, thick muck.
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to live with movies like “Wolf Creek” and “August Underground”. But this is not a perfect world, and therefore the sick, perverted bastards behind such exploitative garbage are allowed to run wild in order to freely express their “art”. The primary reason why I enjoyed “Calvaire” is because it’s just as disturbing as the said films; yet it doesn’t provoke disgust out of what we see. Rather, it’s all atmosphere, tension, and build-up; something that those repulsive, sick insults to cinema lack. And if I had to choose how I’d want to be disturbed, I’d choose a film like “Calvaire” over some torture porn feature any given day of the week.