Martyrs

This will be only for thoose who have seen the movie, wiether you loved it or hated it..or anything between.

So spoiler alert everyone!!!

After reading some reviews and watching youtube reviews of it, some ask the question “can you really love/like this movie?”
This is what this gonna be about.
The short answer is, YES!

Some think that this is the most violent, disturbing movie they have ever seen. Some even think that you are seriously sick if liking this.
What is there to like from a movie where 2 young girls are being beaten and humiliated in some way or another in the entire movie?
A movie where you have this sick group of people who do anything to break down a human being for the only sake of creating an martyr. So that they will find out what happens after this life.

The acting of Morjana Alaoui as Anna is simply mindblowing. The bravery she has to act in this.. come on, who have the guts and self believe in themself (and the script) that you can portray an role that has a scene where her characther will urinate trough her underwears? Or, simply having your hair cut of in a scene? And later on totally shaved of (that shaving part is not in the movie tough, but still)
Remember that this is only her second movie (Marock was her first, I can´t wait untill I´ve got that one and she is currently shooting Zimmer)


Morjana (left) and Mylène (right)

Mylène Jampanoï as the older Lucie are also simply amazing in her role. Giving her performance of a lifetime as the mentally disturbed Lucie. As one can understand the guilt and horror Lucie has gone trough the last 15 years (16 if you count in the year she has been tortured as a child) is somehow so terrifying that I can´t help thinking how Mylène most have felt when accepting this role and acting it out during the shooting of this movie, but also the time after.
Mylène has done some other movies ( www.imdb.com).

The first time I saw Martyrs I felt sick for what I saw and I had this tiny hope that it would turn out ok for Lucie and Anna, that in some way they would make it. You who have seen the movie, you know none of them didn´t.


A young Lucie (Jessie Pham)

Jessie Pham (as the young Lucie)….what is there to say about her? After searching some info on her there wasn´t much to read basicly, and believe me there isn´t much except her name being mentioned.
But, Martyrs being her first movie…yes I tripple checked, this is her first movie. I am totally blown away by her performance and I feel almoust ashamed to admit that I hardly noticed her acting the first time I watched Martyrs. The second, third and fourth time however.. I gotta add Jessie Pham to the list of Mylène Jampanoï and Morjana Alaoui as the future in acting.
I know that none of them would have a chance in getting an award for best performance, wich is a bloody shame. A real shame, shame on you people. The reason is of course the violence and “no hope (?)” that this movie is about.
What I think would be apropiate tough is to build an statue a monument or a sculpture of anyone of theese, maby all three of them.


Jessie Pham

So yes, I have no problem to confess that I do love this movie, the acting, the script and what it says - about us as human beings.
The demons, the guilt we somehow all carries with us. I think that´s why this one affected me so much and still do, the guilt that Lucie has to live with - who somehow are passed on to Anna; becouse she didn´t believe Lucie.

I have mentioned that Martyrs felt so close to life and that it was realistic. Some might have had problems with my toughts about that - some might have understod what I did ment.
Yes I can understand that some people think it goes beyond realism (and even to far) when it comes to Anna´s “final test” and what happens after that. I had no “problems” to believe (or even confess) in it that it felt realistic. Why? Becouse “hopefully” none of you have to find out exactly how much a humanbeing can take in physical abuse.

I also don´t think the reason this sick group has any non beliviable cause/lack of cause (or the genius of screenwriter/director Pascal Laugier had any lack of cause for shooting the ending as he did), that are the reason why they torture theese girls are fare fetched. Some people are, in case you haven´t read the history of mankind, really this sick and disturbed that they would do things like this for their personal gaining or whatever their goal is.

The sound of the ladder..


When Anna is chained up down in the cellar and they come down again and again and again and again and again... by the sound of that ladder being slamed to the floor.. that sound was so awful, becouse you knew what was about to happen. Or at least you had your clues..


This movie is also so fucking brave, not only for the reasons I mention above. This also do have the guts to be graphic and ask not only about religion but also asking and dare the viewer to continue watching what happens and most importanly if you are brave and/or “sick” enough to follow Lucie and Anna into their fate.

The other actors:
Erika Scott as the young Anna should also, of course, be mentioned for her performance and this is also her forst movie.

Catherine Bégin as the diabolicly Mademoiselle… that characther will probably give people some sleepless nights. To play a role that more or less are obsessed to find out what will happen in life after this life, if there is any life after this.

Isabelle Chasse as “the demon” that haunts Lucie, she has some scenes that are so disturbing that you just can´t take your eyes from the screen. She is, not surprisingly, an circus artist - an aerealist is the correct word for her profession. She bends her body in ways that are somehow scary and difficult to imagine are possible to any human. But, since she is a fully trainee performance artist, this is poses she is somehow comfortable to be in. Don´t try this at home.

Mike Chute, he is simply disgusting…simply outrageus as this mountain big freak of a man. Showing no emotion what so ever when beating poor poor Anna. But, that final scene where the entire group meet in the house and you see that proud arrogant facial expression in his face… that sums up what this group of people is all about; sickness.

Gaëlle Cohen (whom by the way are a stuntperson as so is Mike Chute) are cold, really cold in her role. She also is the stunt director of Martyrs.

To sum this one up, you can - and I understand if you do - hate this movie and hate it becouse of what you see and hate the fact that no one makes it out alive.
But as far as the performance goes, the acting and the bravera of the screenwriter to pull this one of, I can´t do anything else but love this one, admire them for giving me this monster.
Merci beaucoup Pascal
Merci beaucoup Mylène
Merci beaucoup Morjana
Merci beaucoup Jessie
Merci beaucoup Erika
Merci beaucoup Catherine
Merci beaucoup Isabelle
Merci beaucoup Mike
Merci beaucoup Gaëlle


Pascal (left) Morjana and Mylène (left) at a screening of Martyrs


Note.
Martyrs have one nomination however; Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival located in Spain 2008. It didn´t win however. Surveillance did.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409345/
Martyr is a greek word for witness.
Merci beaucoup is french for Thank you very much
Monica Belluci has also her hair cut off in her role as Malena Scordia in the movie Malèna http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213847/

Martyrs contre la Censure - Martyrs vs censorship (text in english)
http://fredambroisine.com/videos/080903martyrsE.htm