A DVD Review of Pascal Laugier's Martyrs

Impressive but Gruesome French Shocker is Unforgettable

Jun 2, 2009 Michael Scott

Very pretentious but completely captivating, Pascal Laugier's Martyrs is unforgettable and exceptionally well done, but not likely to appeal to many viewers.

Director Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs is an incredibly unsettling horror film. Emotionally draining and shocking, and completely unforgettable, Martyrs is an exceptionally well done film that will appeal to only a few viewers. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Pascal Laugier`s Martyrs - Plot

Martyrs opens with young Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï) escaping from an unseen group of torturers. She is ultimately placed in an institution where she befriends another victim of abuse named Anna (Morjana Alaoui). Lucie has escaped her captors, but she hasn’t escaped her horror. Something is still tormenting Lucie, and it’s causing her to harm herself. For Lucie the nightmare isn’t over.

Fifteen years later, Anna has remained steadfastly at Lucie’s side. The movie kicks into gear when Lucie finds a family she believes to be the ones who tortured her. Still tormented by her nightmares, as well as the creature that continually forces her to hurt herself Lucie vows to extract revenge, and Anna gets dragged into Lucie’s obsession.

To reveal anymore about Martyrs would greatly lessen the impact of watching this unforgettable film. It’s difficult to say Martyrs is a likable film, and it certainly isn’t enjoyable. It will, however, stick with the viewer long after the movie is over. Pretentious to the point of being almost unwatchable, Martyrs still manages to become gripping and captivating. Martyrs wears its highbrow intentions on its sleeve. This is a horror movie that tries to be art. At first that can be off-putting to a viewer. Sticking with film, however, reveals that Laugier actually succeeds in creating a horror film that transcends genre boundaries. Viewings hoping for another Saw or Hostel will be in for a shock, and many may feel the movie is trying to be more than it is. Yet the movie does suceed in being more.

Laugier effectively makes Lucie’s horror the audiences', and in the process creates one of the most harrowing and horrifying experiences in recent memory. Martyrs is clearly not for everyone, in fact it may not be for anyone. But for those who are willing to undertake the journey it is an unforgettable experience. It is absolutely not for those with weak stomachs.

Note: This review is based on the unrated version of the film.

Martyrs Picture Quality

Martyrs is an intentionally grey and dreary film. It’s shot in a grainy, no-frills style, and consequently, it isn’t a visual feast by any means. That being said, this is a solid DVD presentation. While grain is very prominent, there is a good amount of fine detail in the image. There is no artifacting or visible edge enhancement. Laugier’s color scheme places the crimson of the ample amounts of blood that flow in the movie at the forefront, and the reds are deep and rich on the disc.

Martyrs Audio Quality

Martyrs packs a robust soundtrack. The film is fairly quiet, as there are only a few key characters and much of the film is dialogue heavy. The score is nicely unsettling, but it is used sparingly. There are several sound effects, such as gun shots, punches, that Laugier pumps up to shock the viewer and the French Dolby 5.1 soundtrack is more than up to the task. The English 5.1 track is mediocre. The original subtitled French track is the only way to view the movie.

Martyrs DVD Extras

Martyrs has a reasonable amount of extras. The highlight is a 50 minute documentary entitled Organic Chronicles: The Making of Martyrs. Shot with mostly hand-held cameras, the documentary offers up a fly-on-the-wall view of the making of the film. Ample comments from the cast and crew give nice insight into the making of the film, as well as the filmmaking process in general. Up next is an introduction to the film from director Laugier where he explains his intentions in making the movie. The introduction and Organic Chronicles reveal that Laugier is much like the movie he created. Fascinating to listen to but also unbelievably pretentious, he is not for all tastes. He is a man who is clearly enamored with his own talent, but it's hard to disagree with him after viewing the film. Finally the disc has a couple of trailers for the film.

Love it or hate it, Martyrs is a film no viewer will easily forget. Pascal Laugier has created a shocking, moving, and exceptional film. Highly recommended for those who think they are up to it.

Final Rating (Out of *****)

Film ****

Video ***

Sound ****

Extras ***

Unrated

99 Minutes

Buy the DVD here.

The copyright of the article A DVD Review of Pascal Laugier's Martyrs in Horror Films is owned by Michael Scott. Permission to republish A DVD Review of Pascal Laugier's Martyrs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Martyrs UK Quad Poster

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Comments

Jun 2, 2009 2:59 PM

Steven Cookson :

I have to say this is the first time I've watched a film in a long time when I really have no idea what to think afterwards. Martyrs is a tough watch but I think its style places it above similar films and if it wasn't so artistic I'm not sure if I'd like it. Very few horror films manage to be gory yet emotional, and this backs up my point that if we want good, intelligent genre films these days we have to look to Europe.

Jun 2, 2009 5:05 PM

Guest :

Martyrs is one best horror movies out if not the best. In a time when horror movies lack substance and cut out all the graphic scenes and fill them noises.

horror movies are definitely missing the thrill and originality. so what do you do? well a good resource is to follow the french horror directors they will not let you down. A must see and a great movie.

posted by TormentedFilms.com

Martyrs

Jun 13, 2009 8:12 AM

Guest :

A respectful review of the necessity to keep the film's plot under-wraps, which has seemed so hard for most critics to do--plain irresponsible. Especially thought your observation about admiration/challenge of liking & enjoying are so hard to yank apart. Thoughtful review. That said, some quibbles:

1) The visual style of the film, at least the first 2/3, is beautiful. Bleak, yes, but very well shot (2 DPs), the modern, beautiful house that most of the film is set in is a wonderful backdrop--lots of shiny metalics and whites and, um, splattering reds...it is certainly not 'grainy'...rather, one of the more visually arresting horror/dramas i have seen since 'don't look now' --yes, several of the later scenes are justifiably dark and probably shot on different stock, but the overall look of the film, even several of its most wrenching scenes, is stunning. don't confuse aesthetics with unpleasantry.

2) You seem to be overloading your synopsis with variations on the term "pretentious"; okay, it's French, so we make associations... and the 'lecture' on martyrdom that comes at the midpoint, right about where the whole thing becomes its own unique inside-out vision of {.......}, is overly long, more lecture-y than it could have been, though fascinating and disturbing nonetheless. However, there are no other passages in the film that are remotely pretentious, simply because, as you pointed out, the dialogue is scant, and the ideas of the film--very heavy, challenging--are brilliant and absorbing and haunting and devastating and uplifting...ANYTHING but pretentious. Come on, you gave the thing a rave review. You want pretentious? Wait til Haneke's 'brilliant' WHITE RIBBON' comes stateside; he is brilliant and CACHE and PIANO TEACHER are brilliant, but man is this new piece of work pretentious. But this is off-track....simply, the film is too visceral to be pretentious, beyond the speech in the middle, which really should have been more converse. The shot in and out of the eye near the end (*not giving anything away!*)--I hope you aren't referring to that, because the last 20 minutes--love or hate--are untouchable in their brutal beauty and transcendence (a term you yourself used). It is hard to be 'pretentious' when there is virtually nothing on screen or in the dialogue that keeps you glued to what is happening and what could be happening. It is difficult to roll your eyes when tears are falling from them.

3 Comments