‘Revenge’ may seem like a throwback to gory exploitation thrillers like ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ but its influences and inspirations are a whole lot more surprising. Its director, French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, talks through four key touchpoints for her blistering bloodbath flick.
‘Kill Bill: Vol 1’
‘I picked this for the iconic warrior that Uma Thurman’s heroine becomes, and for the very visual, hyper-real aspect it has to it. The violence is so bloody and excessive but there’s a filter between it and reality that makes it not just bearable, but entertaining and creative. That’s where I wanted to go with “Revenge”.’
‘First Blood’
‘The hero is a victim who has to become a warrior again. In my movie, the girl, Jen, presents herself as seductive and Lolita-like and the men think that allows them to do whatever they want with her, and that it’ll be easy to get rid of her. Both movies go to the extreme: they strip everything from the protagonist and require them to be reborn.’
‘Mad Max’
‘I love the way “Mad Max” uses the desert, and how the landscape reflects what’s happening in the characters’ minds: it’s like hell on earth. With “Revenge”, I wanted the setting to be almost supernatural. I was also inspired by “Deliverance” for the way the characters have
to fight the elements.’
‘Point Break’
‘Kathryn Bigelow is a very inspiring director. When I first saw it, I didn’t realise “Point Break” had been made by a woman, and that’s a good thing. There are also movies that feel like they’ve been made a woman and that’s great too.’
‘Revenge’ is in cinemas from Fri May 11.