Irreversible

directed by Gaspar Noé
France 2002

Irreversible pitches you straight into the abyss, revealing Cassel pounded to a pulp and his assailant's head staved in with a fire extinguisher; then it swivels into the past, negotiating the real-time agony of Bellucci being raped in an underpass, regressing ever backwards into the chaste light of earlier that day. Rest assured it all ends happily ever before. The title doesn't merely toy with the idea of undoing time, corruption, ruin and such shackles; it also brandishes the suggestion that the film itself poses a cinematic breach, a taboo-torching dereliction of no return. That's an exaggeration, of course, but there's no denying Noé's investment in the shock strategy of extreme realism, nor his virtuosity in the practice. Yet is it any more reprehensible a display than the similarly immersive opening of, say, Saving Private Ryan? And isn't Noé's implacably knowing, twisted relationship with his audience comparable to a more adolescent, swaggering Michael Haneke? You could choke on this nut. Morally banal, technically prodigal and dramatically packed with cheap ironies Irreversible may be, but, polemically at least, it's a tour de force.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: 23 May 2002 (Cannes Film Festival)

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DVD Comparison:

Lion's Gate - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Tartan (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Gary Tooze and Henrik Sylow for the Screen Caps!

(Lion's Gate - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Tartan (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Lion's Gate Region 1 - NTSC	Tartan Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:33:33	1:33:41
Video	2.25:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.60 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	2.20:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 8.90 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Lion's Gate
Bitrate: Tartan (Special Edition)
Audio	2.0 Dolby Digital French, 5.1 Dolby Digital French	2.0 Dolby Digital French, 5.1 Dolby Digital French, DTS French
Subtitles	English, Spanish, None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Lion's Gate Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.25:1 Edition Details: • Trailers for the film (3:08) • Soundtrack Trailer • Two videos “STRESS” (4:36) and “OUTRAGE” (4:19) DVD Release Date: August 5, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 16	Release Information: Studio: Tartan Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.20:1 Edition Details: • Audio Commentary by Gasper Noé (French w/English sub) • SPX (7:12) • Intoxication (4:55) • Stress (4:31) • Outrage (4:23) • Teasers (3:09) • Trailer (1:42) DVD Release Date: December 4, 2006 Keep Case Chapters 16

Comments:

Gary Tooze on Lion's Gate
This film appears to be uncut. It is made using handheld/crane shots and the picture quality is mostly very dark. The image is hazy but I am unsure if it is the transfer or the way the film was made. The sound is clear and there are yellow subs which are not particularly well done. The Extras are noted above and I can bet that alternate region versions of this film will be superior.

Henrik Sylow on Tartan
The Tartan transfer is stunning. Uncompressed and unstreched image, very sharp details, deep blacks.

The usual three Tartan tracks are present. DTS is slightly stronger and more "umph" than the 5.1, but both are very forceful - mainly front - tracks.

The significant difference in additional material is the audio commentary by Gasper Noé, in French with English subtitles, who talks about the mise-en-scene, what scenes where scripted in detail and which were improvised, and so forth. Little discussion on thematics, motifs and other elements.

DVD Menus
(Lion's Gate - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Tartan (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)