The word “REVANCHE” in German means “revenge” but also has the meaning of “second chance”.
Götz Spielmann manages to craft his masterpiece through utilizing these five characters in whose lives are intertwined after tragedy but not going through the cliched route of banality or a theme of built on misanthropy. Each character at their own moral crossroads and each character brings something to the viewer. Alex as a man in love and in a man in mourning. Robert as a man who is proud but broken down by guilt. Hausner as a man who knows he’s growing older but seeing a side of his son that he has never seen before. Susanne as a wife, who will do anything to save her marriage. These characters are all vulnerable and must struggle with their own personal dilemmas. Spielmann uses the theme of “REVANCHE” as a choice the character Alex will need to make.
What makes this film work for me is that these Australian talents are people that I have never seen before in a film, they play their role remarkably well and the film is well-cast. No one has this image of unbelievability. Spielmann is able to craft a tale that captivates your attention from beginning to end through its characters but also the beautiful cinematography of the naturalistic surroundings of where these characters live but also capturing the seedy underground of Alex’s and Tamara’s life earlier in the film.
Overall, “REVANCHE” is compelling, smart and an extraordinary film.
