Review: Calvaire 2004

…………….. Brace yourself…“Calvaire” is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It’s a raw and powerful look at obsession and delusion, but what’s even more interesting (and something I didn’t understand until I was ‘googling’ the film, after I watched it) is, it’s intended as a dark comedy. Knowing that it is actually supposed to be funny really did change my initial dislike of the film, however, it should be noted that the subject matter of this movie is NOT actually funny at all… in fact, it’s sick and twisted and wrong… but, of course, that’s where the ‘dark’ part comes in. This knowledge really just improved my overall opinion of the film because it added a layer of depth and that, along with the parts of the film I already liked from the start, definitely moved the film greatly upwards in my estimation.
The film centers very literally around Marc Stevens, a traveling singer who performs at such venues as nursing homes and malls. Marc is driving at night in the middle of nowhere and his van breaks down. He ends up at a nearby inn where a seemingly nice man named Bartel welcomes him to spend the night. At first Bartel seems great, he cooks for Marc, offers to try and fix his van… confides in him about his depression over his wife’s leaving…. and soon it becomes increasingly clear that Bartel is VERY unstable. Bartel holds Marc prisoner, insisting that he is actually “Gloria”, Bartel’s runaway wife, forcing him to wear a dress, and pretending that the abhorrent treatment to which he subjects “Gloria” is in someway indicative of love and a happy marriage…
“Calvaire” is a Belgian dark-comedy/horror film and, after giving it some thought, I’ve decided that it’s structured differently than most films… The film centers around Marc, and Marc is less a person, and more a “blank slate”… Everyone in the film is drawn to him in a sexual way, right from the start, yet, aside from being a good looking man, he doesn’t really seem at all worthy of such worship. Then of course, Marc essentially becomes “Gloria”.. It’s as if Marc is a mirror for everyone’s obsessions. The film isn’t very rational because a person like Marc doesn’t really exist, he only exists for the purpose of the movie. I found this movie interesting, I can’t say I LOVED it…but it was definitely powerful and certainly intriguing. I can’t even, in good conscience, recommend it to anyone, not because it’s bad but because the subject matter is extreme and the film is not easy to watch. If you do watch it, keep an open mind..and, once again, brace yourself.