Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs is the first ‘real’ horror film in years for one simple reason, it’s horrifying. The French director pulled no punches with this film, and has made possibly one of the most graphic films ever to be released.
Although saying that this isn’t your average slasher film that’s completely void of any plot, this is instead a twisted story which revolves around violence and torture. It begins in the 70’s, when a young child named Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï) is found wandering the French roads with obvious signs of abuse. The police soon find that she had been tortured at great length in a disused slaughterhouse, which she had apparently never left, and strangely for an abuse case of this nature there are no traces of sexual contact. Luice is soon placed in an orphanage, where she befriends a girl called Anna (Morjana Alaoui), although she remains traumatized by what has happened to her, beings self-harming, seeing things and refuses to communicate the experience to anyone else.
After one fairly frightening incident in the care home involving a mutilated girl, the film picks up fifteen years later, after the pair have left the orphanage, and still traumatised by her ordeal Lucie is out for revenge. She tracks down her former abusers, and aims to make them pay for what they did, however Anna isn’t so sure that it is them, as the only evidence is a newspaper photo and Lucie’s old memories. The onset of violence is quick and uncompromising, as Luice exacts her particular brand of revenge with little remorse, spattering the victims’ blood all over the pristine white walls they called home.
That look, the red blood on white walls, is very powerful; presenting the setting almost like an abattoir, something which is heightened by the level of brutality and limited colour palette used, as practically all major colours seen are red, white or black. It’s not just powerful, but mesmerising, and yet slightly distracting, as you constantly realize that the cinematography and direction have come together so perfectly that every shot is tragic, yet beautiful, but that success is also a downfall as the viewer is constantly reminded that they are watching a film.
Then again, Martyrs is also a film that can thoroughly draw the viewer in, and keep them transfixed, as mentioned before; this isn’t an average slasher film, and characters here really matter, you feel disturbed yet saddened by Lucie’s actions, waiting for her to ‘get better.’ It’s similar with Anna, at the beginning you are slightly indifferent to her, as she is little more than the rational side of Lucie’s personality, but as the story progresses she becomes worthwhile, and particularly in the latter half anyone watching would feel a deep sympathy for the ordeals that befall her. Martyrs is largely void of other characters, and whilst they appear, and in some cases play fairly important parts they are largely soulless (something that is perfectly fitting for the majority of later characters) but also have believable interactions with one another, something helped that the acting by all parties involved (particularly Morjana Alaoui and Mylène Jampanoï) is superb and near faultless.
Horror fans won’t be disappointed, as there is plenty of gore here, and Martyrs is definitely not one for the squeamish, there’s gallons of blood, a fair chunk of torture and plenty of cringe-worthy sadomasochistic charm, but that’s not to say that other audiences won’t be entertained, as the story develops, particularly in that latter half, as more of a spiritual one and has you caring what happens to the leads, not simply waiting for the next bimbo to get bumped off. The particularly graphic nature of the film rejects the notion that less is more, and instead opts for bloody, shocking realism, allowing the viewer to see everything, something which could have failed the film, if not for the amazing job conducted by the effects department; every gunshot, cut, hammer to the head or even skin-peel (that’s right, skin-peel) looks real, not just good, but real. Prosthetics, CGI and make-up all work together exceptionally well here to create an effect even hardened viewers would have troubled picking apart, and help to fully immerse the viewer in the gory spectacle.
In short, Martyrs is simply a must for any horror fan, it’s got shock value, will make you jump and doesn’t fail to frighten. However, one point that is worth hammering home, it is a French film, without an English soundtrack, so be prepared to read the subtitles; and for those of you thinking that as it’s a horror “ahhh” sounds the same in every language, it does, but remember there is a story here, with character interaction and spiritual messages which you will need to read to fully appreciate this film. And again, it is very violent, so if Hostel was too much for you, steer clear as the truly graphic nature of Martyrs is likely to not only have you up all night, but to have you up all night with your head down the toilet.
Picture:
Martyrs is presented in full 1080p glory, and it’s a transfer that doesn’t disappoint; every spatter of blood, every wrinkle and every tear are as rich and detailed as can be. This isn’t The Dark Knight, or RocknRolla, but it’s amazingly close, blacks are bold and deep, the contrast is particularly striking and helped by the director’s choice of colours, and whilst there is the inevitable spot of grain, it’s hardly distracting, hardly noticeable and hardly there. Truly one of the best Blu-ray transfers to date.
Audio:
Once more Martyrs fails to disappoint, as the soundtrack is presented in DTS HD Master Audio, and the 5.1 track is crystal clear. However surprisingly for a horror it makes little use of the rear channels, with only one or two relatively short uses during the entire film and it isn’t a film with much bass, but there is some subtle application of the woofer. Seppuku Paradigm’s score was completely forgettable, some people say that the best film scores are ones that you do not notice, a statement that isn’t totally without merit, but do not expect to be moved either way by the music from the relatively new composer. Whilst this may not be the sensory extravaganza that one would expect from a horror title on Blu-ray the sound is perfectly clear, and more than adequate for shocking the audience, and progressing the story.
Extras:
The special features on the disc are limited, yet quite in depth and detailed. There is a making of featurette, interview with writer/ director Pascal Laugier and an interview with the special effects/make-up artist Benoit Lestang. Each one is fairly detailed and interesting, with a uniquely intimate and low budget family feel. However any non-French speaker is likely to become both distracted and bored whilst watching the features, as they consist of constant talking (as you would expect from an interview) and therefore the need to read subtitles makes them feel stretched.
The Bottom Line:
Martyrs is well worth a look, even if that look comes from behind a cushion. I usually wouldn’t put much stock in foreign films, and generally don’t want to read subtitles, but for anyone that doesn’t mind having to read this is a gem. Strangely for a horror film it actually has realistic characters that you will feel for, and a strange yet slightly undefined spiritual element. If horror or subtitles aren’t you’re things then steer clear, as a strong stomach is needed to watch Martyrs. Picture and audio quality are superb (despite little use of rear channels) which more than warrant the extra money for the Blu-ray, but the extras would only really be suitable for hardcore fans, or French speakers. It’s a unique film, that’s worth a look, has garnered huge praise, been marked for a Hollywood remake and propelled Pascal Laugier to the big time; so if it’s simply the language that puts you off, it maybe worth waiting for the Americanised version, or Pascal’s upcoming remake of Hellraiser, otherwise, I advise you watch this beautifully crafted, uniquely twisted thriller.
