(may contain spoilers)
Douban rating: 8.7
Director: Justine Triet
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner
Douban Comments: “I agree that in any relationship, neither party should lose themselves, nor should one place the responsibility solely on the other. The most important thing is to avoid making the decision to sacrifice yourself from the very beginning. If we were to reverse the roles of the husband and wife in the film, we’d realize that the husband’s situation is actually the predicament many women face in real life. However, society has long become accustomed to this invisible oppression of women. When the oppressed party is a man, and he commits suicide as a result, everyone’s first reaction (including the audience’s) is: ’Impossible‘.”
“The film has excellent visual and sound techniques. It shows a gender role reversal compared to most families, which is a clever choice. Making the female lead bisexual also feels like a creative touch. At the celebration, when the female lead held the lawyer’s face, I was really clenching my fists, praying that she wouldn’t kiss him; because if she did, everything would fall apart. Thankfully, I could trust the director not to make such a silly mistake. When the female lead called her son, she asked if she could come home in a questioning tone rather than just telling him. At this point, I wonder which East Asian daughter wouldn’t quietly feel emotional – I won’t say more.”
“The truly terrifying part is that the male lead had already decided to commit suicide and, after a failed attempt, meticulously recorded their final explosive marital argument under the guise of collecting material for his work. How much hidden pain, filth, and infidelity can a marriage endure? Even the car accident involving their son when he was four wasn’t enough to drive him to suicide. The deeper cause lies in his low self-esteem, insecurity, and the psychological shadow of not being recognized – like a never-ending nightmare of being trapped in a dark, damp tunnel from which there is no escape.
What’s most disturbing is why he chose to harm himself and frame his spouse. This story reveals the cruelest aspect of marriage: how can jealousy be avoided in such an intimate relationship?”
“This is probably the best Palme d’Or winner in at least a decade. The film feels like it’s filled with a kind of magnetic pull, encompassing everything. I thought that was it, but then around the 80-minute mark, things suddenly took a sharp turn. A major argument scene, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen, brought out all the tension that had been quietly building. From there, the courtroom scenes became a whirlwind, like a storm tearing everything apart. The dialogue’s rhythm became a weapon, creating a sense of pressure and suffocation under tight control.
It felt like a romanticized Edward Yang, blending the poetic with realism. Even though the film is filled with soft lighting and shallow focus, clearly romanticizing life’s scenes (even the powerful argument is shot this way), it’s actually a cold, realistic examination of life – a perfect representation of the word ‘anatomy’. Most directors would try to strip away emotions when using the ‘scalpel approach’, but Triet fills the story with deep emotion and passion. Maybe that’s the unique touch of a female director.
A year later, I rewatched it and liked it even more. I was actually moved to tears, touched by the overwhelming emotions.”
