Martyrs
DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY: Pascal Laugier, STARRING: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin, RUN TIME: 99 minutes, RELEASE: 2008, LANGUAGE: French
Fifteen years after a horrifying experience of abduction and prolonged torture, Lucie (Mylene Jampanoi) embarks on a bloody quest for revenge against her oppressors. Along with her childhood friend, Anna (Morjana Alaoui), who also suffered abuse, she quickly descends, without hope, into madness and her own psychotic delusions and the girl's journey soon sets upon a new path of absolute terror and depravity the like of which no one could imagine.
Typically, I am not a fan of torture-porn or gore-laden films. It's not because I am squeamish in any way. It's just that I find it all a bit ridiculous, mindless and nothing more than a cheap coercion tactic created with a purely select audience in mind. Don't get me wrong, I get that some people are into that and that's a case of each to their own. It's just not for me. I'm not really into blood and gore just for the sake of it. I like my films to have a little more substance if they are going to go down that route. Saw (2004) is a fine example of something that I deemed acceptable within the context of the story (I say that loosely) that it was telling. That being said, sometimes a film needs to be as visually shocking as it is mentally to really deliver its most effective and hardest impact and that is no truer than when it comes to Martyrs.
Martyrs is without-a-doubt one of the most brutal films that I have ever seen. If not the most brutal. From the moment I saw the ten-year-old Lucie (Jessie Pham) running for her life at the very beginning, covered in blood, I knew that this film was going to be like nothing else that I had ever seen before, or probably will see again, any time soon. From the minute Martyrs starts it never lets up on its breath-taking intensity. It is absolutely unrelenting. Emotionally and visually, this film certainly is testing. Some parts are quite difficult to watch but Laugier has written such an amazing piece of work that it is worth every harrowing moment you find yourself squirming through. Even if you do feel slightly wiped out by the time the end credits start rolling.
A film with this magnitude of horror needs substance. To that end, Martyrs has it in abundance. The story is uniquely outstanding and shifted in so many directions, I never really knew where this film was headed. It never settles or becomes complacent in it's styling, making it truly unpredictable, whilst flowing perfectly from one devastating indecent to the next. It really is a mesmerizing, intelligent roller-coaster that twists and turns wonderfully, keeping your attention locked firmly in its gut-wrenching plot. I have made it plainly obvious by now that this is a violent film but, when you reach the end of it, it will become unarguably apparent as to why every single torture scene was absolutely necessary. Everything that happens in this film has justifiable reasoning and purpose, which is a must for me considering the level of its no-holds-barred graphic content. The climax of this film is just amazing and will make you think and reflect on everything you have just seen.
So, did the cast live up to the daunting task of portraying everything that this film required of them? Well, the only way I can best describe Mylene Jampanoi and Morjana Alaoui as Lucie and Anna (respectively) would be to use the word 'phenomenal'. Even then, that doesn't even come close to describing just how spectacular they both are. If I could shower these two young woman with awards, they wouldn't have enough space to store them. Rarely have I seen two people work so magnificently on screen together as these tremendous actresses. I can't imagine how difficult and trying this film must have been for the two actresses, but they both brought such quality and believably to their individual roles. Jamponoi is amazing as the severely mentally scarred - tormented by the spectre of the girl she left behind - Lucie, whilst Alaoui gives one of the best performances I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. The spectrum of emotions that these two actresses achieve in their roles is such a testament to how great they both are. I've must also give credit to Jessie Pham and Erika Scott, who played the younger versions of the two women. They did a remarkable job.
Overall, Martyrs is a must-see. There is not much more that I can about the film or the cast that I haven't already said. Laugier's direction is simply brilliant, complimented exceptionally well by some amazing cinematography by Stephane Martin and Nathalie Moliavko-Visotzk and first class editing by Sebastien Prangere. Martyrs is by no means an easy watch. It is a nightmare festooned in blood and packed full of psychological and physical torture that are both degrading and depraved but it is arguably one of the best horror films that you will ever see. Give it a go but get ready for one hell of a ride. If I see a ladder anytime soon, I'm going to freak out.