The topic of revenge has been in the news this week thanks to Liam Neeson. Liam Neeson was dogged in some controversy in the most sanctimonious place in the world, Twitter. Anyway, they were angry about some comments that were made where he stated he wanted to kill a black person following the rape of a friend. These are clearly feelings of a guy was a racist, but the words of regret are words of man who knew he was wrong. This doesn’t mean we should sweep it under the carpet as these are issues the black people still face today. The main issue with Neeson’s comments his he didn’t acknowledge that.
Anyway, there’s something slightly uncomfortable with the number of revenge films that involve a woman being raped or assaulted. They are mostly, if not all, directed by men. However, the film Revenge is directed by Corlaie Fargeat. It offers a female perspective on the genre where the most notable changes is the short and off-camera rape scene. With the female eye the woman is at forefront, not the rape and whilst the overall story is very much the same as many in the sub-genre the differences are more subtle than the ones that can easily be seen on the surface.
It's a slower movie than his most famous revenge thriller, Oldboy, but Sympathy for Mr Venegence is no less shocking or grim. I didn't quite get to grips with the humour and odd tonal shifts. It’s a demanding watch that doesn't let the viewer relax as it barrages you with its barbaric nihilism.
On a more lighter note, in this film Jimmy Stewart gets revenge on the arsehole who stole his gun. Some good performances here, and a gripping final shootout, in this relatively unknown Western and Jimmy Stewart film.
