TIFF Review: ‘Violation’
“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
Thus reads a widely known quote from Confucius, a renowned Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period in Chinese history. Many different works of media, including Alexandre Dumas’ iconic ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, the ABC television series ‘Revenge’ (itself a retelling of Dumas’ 1844 novel) and 2009’s ‘Law Abiding Citizen’, have done an impeccable job at displaying how emotionally draining the experience of attaining revenge can be, depicting incredibly tragic stories that almost always culminate in tragic endings for all parties involved.
Many other films, on the other hand, have done the exact opposite. Not only glorifying the idea of revenge but also the violent, gruesome acts taken by their protagonists in order to attain it, films such as 1978’s ‘I Spit on Your Grave’, 1972’s ‘The Last House On the Left’ and their subsequent remakes – all ultraviolent, excessively gory films that were more fascinated with its characters’ insides rather than their minds – have launched a subgenre of their own, known as the “rape revenge” movie. These films usually consisted of two acts, the first painstakingly and exploitatively detailing the vicious and brutal attacks inflicted on their main character while the second act mostly focused on that character’s violent journey of revenge.
Many films have tried to subvert the “rape revenge” movie, with the most recent being Coralie Fargeat’s 2017 action horror film ‘Revenge’. While the film mostly succeeded in turning the tables on the exploitative nature of the “rape revenge” genre, it did so in an over-the-top, hyper-stylized manner, forgoing any exploration of humanity and morality in the process. ‘Violation’, the directorial debut of Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer which recently had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, also attempts to subvert and deconstruct the “rape revenge” movie, albeit in a completely different manner.
‘Violation’ starts with an awkward car ride between Miriam (Sims-Fewer) and her boyfriend Caleb (Obi Abili). Tense, awkward just slightly bitter, the tension between them is palpable, the air permeated with unsaid thoughts. As we will soon come to find out, the relationship between them is almost at its end, with both of them stubbornly prolonging its almost expired shelf-life due to the fear of being alone. Miriam’s relationship with her sister Greta (Anna Maguire) is just as fraught, with scenes of them awkwardly interacting and passive-aggressively arguing about their childhoods intercut with beautiful scenes of nature, a bright and beautiful contrast to the film’s soon-to-be dark and twisted proceedings.
We soon come to find out that relationship with her sister is deteriorating due to Dylan (Jesse LaVercombe), Miriam’s former classmate and Greta’s new significant other. Loud, brash and rough around the edges, Dylan is a “man’s man”, frequently imposing himself on people and unafraid to speak his mind. Telling stories of her experience with Dylan back in high school (“He used to tear the wings off of flies,” she says exasperatedly), Miriam is scared for her sister, a feeling Greta frequently tries to downplay by attempting to convince her sister that he’s changed. Miriam’s worries soon prove to be completely valid as a fateful walk in the woods soon leads to a violent, tragic act, leaving Miriam desperate for revenge.
While the act that sets the film in motion is depicted in the movie, it is done so in a non-graphic way, shot strictly from the neck up. It is the act of retaliation itself that is depicted in a brutal, horrifying manner, every single painstaking second feeling like an hour in itself. It is an incredibly difficult sequence to watch as a nervous, fumbling Miriam attempts to carry out her badly thought-out plan. Miriam is not a trained mercenary. She hasn’t been preparing for this act. It is solely instinctual, a quick response to a terrible crime. She is completely inexperienced and it shows. She has no idea what she’s doing, failing at tying a knot and constantly slipping on puddles of blood. ‘Violation’ doesn’t hold back, going to great lengths to depict the gruesome nature of Miriam’s act of revenge in a wholly realistic manner, making it one of the hardest films to watch in recent memory.
Sims-Fewer is breathtaking as Miriam, delivering a haunting performance that will stay with you far after the credits roll. She completely pours herself into the role of a confused, traumatized woman misguidedly attempting to right a wrong and desperately looking for closure. It is a tightrope walk of a performance, requiring the actress to dive deep into extremely dark places, and she does so fearlessly and without any hesitation. LaVercombe, on the other hand, is charming and charismatic as Dylan, at least in the beginning. It is easy to see why Grace would be enamored with him. Behind his all-American boy facade, though, is an intimidating, deeply troubled man with anger issues and his rage soon curdles into a terrifying force that threatens Miriam’s relationship with her sister.
Mancinelli and Sims-Fewers’ work behind the camera is incredibly assured, radiating the confidence and displaying the skillset of a filmmaker with years of experience. Gorgeously shot with a stunning score and sharp sound editing, it is an impressive directorial debut from the pair. The film, however, encounters some hurdles when it comes to its structuring and editing. Instead of telling its story in a straightforward manner, ‘Violation’ weaves in and out, back and forth between non-linear scenes that it takes a while for audiences to pick up on each respective moment’s place in the film’s narrative. This technique does not add anything to the story so it is ultimately a confusing, distracting creative decision that slightly hurts the movie and might alienate audience members.
While ‘Violation’’s plot is simple and straightforward, its execution ultimately lends it much more credence than what you’d expect from its simple logline. ‘Violation’ examines a wide variety of themes – toxic masculinity, misogyny, gaslighting, mental illness, morality – in an incredibly complex and astute manner, trusting its audience to read between the lines instead of talking down to them by spoonfeeding them answers.
“Moral wounds have this peculiarity,” wrote Alexandre Dumas. “They may be hidden, but they never heal; always painful, always ready to bleed when touched, they remain fresh and open in the heart.” At one point, the film shows Miriam sitting down and eating a bowl of ice cream alongside laughing family members, a forced smile on her face. An intense close-up on her worn out, tired face shows a haunted look in her eyes. Her experience will stay with her forever, haunting her for the rest of her life. And to many viewers, so will this film.
Rating: 4/5
Violation debuted at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.