This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 5 2009 - "Revanche," an extremely popular film with the Telluride audience, unfolds its narrative very methodically, albeit with astonishing twists and turns. Set in Vienna (though that lovely city's splendor never factors in), the plot follows the attempt by Ukranian immigrant prostitute Tamara and her ex-con lover Alex to escape their unpleasant life and their bullying brothel boss. A bank robbery that goes awry, retreat to the farm of Alex's grandfather and contact with a nearby home of a policeman - these elements converge.
It's enjoyably unpredictable, and the non-stereotypical characters interact powerfully in a tightly wound story with strong stylistic control and subdued but intense performances. Though "Revanche" unfolds quietly without intrusive, non-diegetic music, it is gripping for its entire two hours. Several filmgoers raved about this film, and it holds up. Some viewers will bemoan the coincidences, but, hey, it's a movie and a tense, engaging one.
After the screening I attended, writer/director Gotz Spielmann offered the following observations: "We rehearsed just enough so that the lines came easy to the actors. To capture the feel for the milieu, Irina Potapenko (who plays the prostitute Tamara) spent five nights in a brothel as though she worked there. Andreas Lust (Robert, the policeman) says it was boring in the countryside where he had time to think and drink coffee for one week, which is what he did. This makes their bodies authentic. You are in your body when you don't concentrate on your lines. The more we concentrate on our thoughts, the more we are in our bodies."
In answer to a question about his feeling about the cycles of life, Spielmann said, "I believe in life in a profound way as it is. Death is a part of life, not the opposite. At the end under the apple tree, there are apples on the tree and one on the ground - it's a great metaphor. When you believe in life, it gets funny again."
And when an audience member wondered if the characters were good-hearted, he said, "Yes and no. I think everyone has something pure and clean inside, though sometimes it doesn't come out because it isn't realized by the person." (Coincidentally and curiously, director Philippe Claudel repeated this sentiment, almost word for word, in his discussion of "I've Loved You So Long.")
In several scenes early in the film, Tamara talks on the phone in Russian, which is not subtitled. Spielmann was asked why he made this decision. He said, "The translation is not needed. You realize she isn't at home, that she comes from far away. Without the translation, you can concentrate on the melody of the Russian lines, and that alien element is important. When she prays on the phone, if you can read the lines, you miss the atmosphere of the strangeness."
When pressed more about metaphors and moments in the film, he said, "When I make a movie, I intend nothing, and that's not only a joke but my main work is to get rid of consciousness, to let things be. I don't want to judge my characters. A work of art is better the more interpretations it allows; that's living. I have no intention. I'm not consciously influenced by visual artists. I like long takes, more complicated shots, because it holds our attention. The composition is more important. I want the audience to have time to see. I have respect for the audience and for the form of cinema. There is a profound beauty in this form and the style. You can't then change this in the editing, so this requires lots of concentration when making the film. I like the difficulty."
In answer to a question about the quietness of the film, he said. "I had a wonderful sound designer who worked with the film as though it were music. There is no wind by chance or dog barking by chance. It's a kind of score."
About the title, Spielmann said, "This word revanche is used in German, though it's a French word. It was a broader meaning than 'revenge.' It can mean revenge but also getting a second chance. Like a chess game, if you lose, you say, 'Give me a revanche.' The English title should be 'The Second Shot,' not really revenge. That's not what I wanted, and I thought abut calling it "Second Shot" but then decided to keep 'Revanche.'"
In answer to questions about how they shot, he said they shot three weeks in Vienna and then in the countryside, all out of chronology. "There was no improvisation on the set, no freedom. In the rehearsal, yes, some improvisation and with dialogue that sometimes makes it work better on the set." When asked about different interpretations again, he said, "Well, life goes on. I like it when everything is not closed. Life is not closed; it's open."
Diane Carson's film reviews can be heard on KDHX (88.1 FM) or accessed by navigating the KDHX Web site at www.kdhx.org .
The Lens is the blog of Cinema St. Louis, hosted by the Beacon.