Taboo Films: Martyrs

Martyrs - Sad

SAD

As I continue my masochistic voyage to find films that are so-called "taboo" this brings me to another film that I've seen bits and know the ultimate ending, but never took the time to watch it from beginning to end. That film is 2008's "Martyrs." While you could easily write the film off as a rip-off of Eli Roth's "Hostel" unlike "Hostel" which dealt with douche-bag American tourists caught up in a clandestine human torture-for-pay ring, "Martyrs" examines deeper issues like child abuse, the fallout, and exploration into whether there is a life after death, however, this is done in a very disturbing and sad way.

This tale begins with a young girl running away from an undisclosed location seemingly injured. Cut to the same girl, named Lucie, who is living in an orphanage. Lucie eventually meets Anna, and the two become close friends. Cut to 15 years later and the home of a father, mother, and two children, the perfect family. Comes a knock on the door and boom, a shotgun blast to the chest ends the father's life. Waiting in another location, Anna, is waiting in a car and receives a call from Lucie. As the story progresses we learn more about Lucie and Anna and their sordid histories. There are also hidden passageways, women with weird metal blindfolds, and of course a notorious third act that kind of flips the whole film on it's head, and oh yeah, torture of the highest degree.

Now, I could just spoil the ending of "Martyrs" and spare you watching the film, but I really feel that would be an injustice. Despite the harrowing story and bleak ending, this film is rather interesting in the manner of subject it's tackling. At it's core, "Martyrs" is quite philosophical albeit very hard to watch some of the tougher scenes in the film.

The performances by both Morjana Alaoui (Anna) and Mylène Jampanoï (Lucie) are both strong and very believable. There is a lot of subtext to their relationship and while you might feel worse for Lucy, it's really nothing compared to what Anna endures the third act of the film, but even that is unfair to saying since both women endure unmentionable horrors.

The final aspect of this film that really gets me is the ending. Now this might be slightly spoiler-y, it needs to be said. The fact that the main villains are old people is extremely disconcerting, not to mention they seem to be rich, well-off, old people. The fact that younger people continue to play victims to an older generation who think they have a right to knowledge that no one else has gained yet feel the need to discover this through the anguish of others, is a major concern, and rightfully so. The main villain of "Mademoiselle" is demonically evil, but at the same time lays out her plan and concerns in a way that both makes sense and is interesting. I'm not saying it's right, but the idea of creating a "martyr" to obtain knowledge from another realm of existence is an interesting, and terrifying, idea.

At the end of the day, "Martyrs" is a thought-provoking film that could be mistaken for a "Hostel" rip-off, but there is a lot more going on in this film. It shows not only the horror of abuse, but the lengths that some will go in order to obtain, and protect, knowledge. It's a difficult sit for those adverse to, dare I say it, "torture-porn," but it's a film worth your attention and time.

Fun Fact: As this review is being written, Hollywood has decided it's time for a remake. The Goetz Brothers and "wonderful" Blumhouse Pictures will be helming the remake that will hopefully be released.....never.