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Maïwenn Le Besco stars in the French horror flick, High Tension (Haute Tension).
I anxiously awaited the U.S. theatrical release of High Tension for quite some time. After first hearing of this throwback psychological slasher early in 2004, I hoped it would eventually find its way over to the states. After many long months, my wish was granted.
High Tension’s plot seems quite simple. Two college-aged girls, Alex (Maïwenn Le Besco) and Marie (Cécile De France), decide to spend the weekend at Alex’s parents’ home in the countryside to study for exams. Late that first night, a stranger arrives at the secluded home and proceeds to brutally murder Alex’s parents and younger brother, then stuffs Alex into the back of his old, rusted-out truck. The story then follows Marie’s efforts to save her friend and seek revenge on the kidnapper.
High Tension is very reminiscent of horror films of the past. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Last House on the Left, and Psycho all come to mind immediately as the comparisons are almost irrefutable. However, during the final act of the film, co-writer/director Alex Aja delivers quite a twist to the story, forcing the viewer to rethink everything they’ve previously seen on the screen.
Upon reading some of the reviews of the film, one thing has become painfully obvious to me. In general, the American public simply does not understand the premise of the twist. One highly-regarded film critic claims “…the movie’s plot has a hole that is not only large enough to drive a truck through, but in fact does have a truck driven right through it.”
Now, I absolutely understand everyone has different reactions to the same movie based on their perceptions. That’s all well and good. But not every film can be taken at face-value. High Tension is one of these films. The critic who I’ve quoted mistakenly believed everything he saw when, in fact, the events unfolding before the viewer’s eyes are true only from a certain point of view… to borrow from Star Wars.
Confused? Don’t worry, the majority of people who’ve seen this film are as well. Unfortunately, I cannot properly explain this seeming plot hole without putting up one of those good old spoiler warnings. Now normally, I don’t reveal essential details in the films I review, but High Tension is a bit of a special case. If you haven’t seen the film yet, stop reading now and hop on over to fellow columnist Dale Wilson’s review (which you can find here). I agree with his description and thoughts of the film whole-heartedly, and if I just wrote a column which said the same exact thing, well, that wouldn’t really benefit anyone.
With that…
**SPOILER WARNING**
For the first 70 minutes, we are led to believe the killer is a middle-aged, rugged hulk of a man who is hell-bent on making the lives of young girls a living hell. He efficiently hacks, slashes, slices, dices, blasts, and bangs his way through Alex’s family as well as a gas station attendant. Aja does a superb job in creating a genuine fear of the aptly unnamed killer (his official credited name is “Le Tueur”, literally “The Killer”).
However, in a twist that only a handful of hawk-eyed viewers would pick up on, the killer turns out to be Marie, herself. “Le Tueur” is the physical manifestation of the evil and obsessive side of our would-be heroine. This is where the seemingly gaping plot hole arises from. Specifically, at one point, The Killer is driving the truck while Marie is in the back attempting to rescue her friend Alex. If Marie is the actual killer, how can she be in two places at one? Quite simply, she’s not. Sure, you “see” Marie in the back of the truck and “Le Tueur” driving the vehicle… but remember what I said: you can’t trust everything onscreen.
At the very beginning of the film, we learn Marie is retelling what happened the night before… this is HER memory of the events which unfolded. During the course of the film, she makes us believe she is actually the heroine, attempting to save Alex (whom she has a morbid infatuation with) from the sadistic killer. Basically, Marie is one crazed, split-personality, lesbian, handsaw-wielding, cabinet-decapitating serial killer that is so messed up that she makes up her story of the the trucker and his rampage.
So, the insane murderess fills the role of High Tension’s “unreliable narrator”. Take a literature class… it’s an actual device used in many novels and films. When your main character is narrating the story in the first person, you can never be sure if what you are being told is completely accurate. The actual events which have transpired can be altered in any and every way imaginable by the narrator. It’s this fact that makes High Tension both a serious slasher, as well an ingenious one.
I’ve also read many critics claiming Aja’s twist ending is a rip-off of M. Night Shyamalan’s famed climax twists as well as a major cop-out. And, while I have no idea whether Aja was influenced by Shyamalan’s calling-card, I do know this was most definitely not a cop out. Honestly, what would be easier to write and film: a straight splatter-fest slasher with no rhyme or reason behind the killings, or one with a radical plot twist – the foundation of which had been laid in the first few scenes?
The answer is simple. Admittedly, even I did not pick up on the clues which lead directly to the big reveal until I watched the film on the big screen just recently. They are definitely out there in the open to be discovered, but they are also cleverly placed so as to seem quite harmless. For that, Aja and Gregory Lavasseur should be commended.
**END SPOILERS**
I’m going to be perfectly honest: I have not been so full of adrenaline from a film since maybe The Blair Witch Project. High Tension is absolutely relentless, unforgiving, and terrifying. There is not one moment of dark humor… not one second for the audience to release the (forgive me) tension that continuously builds during the fast-paced 85 minutes.
…and I loved it.
Originally garnering an NC-17 rating, Lion’s Gate cut approximately one minute of footage from High Tension to receive a more marketable R-rating… perhaps one of the hardest R’s ever allowed by the MPAA. This is one disgustingly bloody film. And amazingly, gallons of more blood were left in the minute of footage cut for the U.S. theatrical release.
The cuts were made for obvious reasons: to ensure a wider release and exposure to a larger audience. However, based upon initial box office numbers (an opening weekend take of $1.9 million), Lion’s Gate would probably have been better off leaving the film as is. At least the NC-17 rating would pique the curiosity of the average film buff.
In actuality, this film really never had a chance here in America. Caution: I’m going to get on my soapbox. Generally speaking, the average American movie-goer needs every little detail explained to them in their films. A film like High Tension, which leaves a lot to the viewer to figure out, quite simply doesn’t sit well with most Americans. And that isn’t meant as some sort of veiled cheap-shot… it’s just a matter of society. Most Americans go to the movies for entertainment purposes only and not necessarily to think about what they’re seeing.
Overall, High Tension is a very polarizing film: people either absolutely love it, or completely dismiss it as pure garbage. In the showing I went to, there were a grand total of four people. Two left midway through the film. I’m not sure if it was because they hated the film or couldn’t take the realistic gore effects but one thing remains clear… High Tension will likely (and deservingly) achieve cult status in no time at all.
Flick Figures: 5 dead bodies; 1 dead canine; 2 breasts; throats slashed; ax to the chest; shard of glass to the Achilles; forcible choking against a step; squeaky boots; crowbar through the chest; plastic bag asphyxiation; motorized circular saw mauling; fountains of blood; head bashed by furniture; high-speed chase with crash-and-burn; fatal shotgun blasts to a child; assault with a 2x4 wrapped in barbed wire; repeated serious facial lacerations; switchblade-fu; hands roll; heads roll.
Next Week: A look at the third entry in George Romero’s “Living Dead” series, Day of the Dead as well as a fan film entitled Stories of a Gravedigger.
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