Overview & Context
Towards the end of 2018, Gaspar Noé, a provocative French filmmaker, released a new movie called Climax. The movie came out as a psychological horror-drama, a genre that Noé is well known for. He is well known for his unique lens as a filmmaker, and experimental ways of telling a story. Climax is partially based off of true events that occurred in the 90s, which involve a dance group that throws a celebration, only for it to end with a gruesome outbreak of violence due to someone spiking their sangria with LSD.
Just like his previous movies, Noé’s Climax also received mixed reviews. Some people loved it, while others clearly did not. This movie in particular Noé described as “both a visual spectacle of choreographed energy and a disturbing study of human breakdown under psychological strain.”. The movie is 1 hour and 40 mins in length and was filmed in only a span of 15 days, and it shows, as the majority of the cast was non professional.
Plot Summary
Climax starts with a captivating sequence. There is a woman in a snowy field who is stumbling, and then collapses. The movie then rewinds to show the events that led up to this point.
It’s 1996, and an eclectic group of young dancers gather in an old school for a rehearsal in anticipation of an upcoming tour. Like any artist, the dancers have their own distinctive sets of personality, nerves, and hopes. After a powerful opening dance routine performed in a single shot, the group erupts into a celebration. It is euphoric. Music is loud, laughter flows freely, and sangria is served.
The joy and euphoria shifts as the dancers gather in one circle and move their bodies in an odd manner. Conversations grow faceless, tempers grow hot, and movements become erratic. Somebody has spiked the sangria with LSD. From here, the party shifts into a state of perpetual nightmare. Noé describes a condition as a nightmare when is a state of calm. It is then the audience is thrust into an endless spiral of paranoia, violence, and primal instinct.
The more the effects increase, the more the dancers become suspicious of one another. They believe one of them is responsible for poisoning the drink. In the end, arguments, violence, destructive acts of compassion, and sheer cruelty rule the day. In desperate attempts, some are frozen with fear, while others retreat and isolate into dark, destructive corners of the school. Crumbling relationships, sexual violence, and aggression combine, alongside self-harm, to yield a toxic Marrianation.
The angles of the camera and the lights flashing along with the pulsating music creates a merging of the audience and character’s drug induced stupor. Long takes show the audience the character’s perspective. By the end, the troupe is in pieces. Some bodies are unmoving, some are frozen in shock, and the reason for the spiking is still unclear.
Cast & Crew
Selva is played by Sofia Boutella. She is the choreographer of the troupe and a semi professional actor.
Romain Guillermic is David, a self assured and overly confident cocky dancer.
As a target of suspicion, a young dancer known as Lou is played by Souheila Yacoub.
Kiddy Smile takes the role of the DJ, known as Daddy.
The cast is rounded out by Claude-Emmanuelle Gajan-Maull, Giselle Palmer, Alaia Alsafir, and Taylor Kastle, the majority of whom are professional dancers portraying themselves.
Gaspar Noé is both the director and the screenwriter. He is also in charge of the editing. Benoît Debie’s the cinematographer and he has intense color palettes and dynamic camera movement. He also has intense color palettes and dynamic camera movement. Noé curated the soundtrack featuring house and techno songs from the 90s which aligns with the film’s feverish rhythm.
Themes & Analysis
Hidden Disorder
In the beginning scenes with the dance troupe, there is artistry, discipline, and teamwork. Once the drug takes effect, the cover of control provided order and control is stripped away, revealing unresolved conflict and unresolved tensions. Noé suggests that the most elaborate and refined acts of creation, there is always the possibility of destruction.
Isolation and Community
The deserted school, which is a prison both literally and metaphorically, evokes feelings of isolation. Starting with a collective, the group experiences collective LSD and spirals inward, turning into inner paranoia and hallucinations. This is a unique example of how shared physical spaces can be a breeding ground for isolation.
The Social Order is Delicate
The collapse of the dancers is a representation of the collapse of society, but on a smaller scale. Without a central figure of control, there is a sharp increase of paranoia suspicion and the lack of trust. This replaces the possibility of cooperation.
Storytelling Through Over-Saturation of the Senses
Noé employs the audiovisual methods of the film as a tool for deepening a theme. He pulls the viewers with long, uninterrupted shots while tilted camera angles distort the ‘right side’ of the world. Pounding electronic pulses parallel the designated characters’ heartbeats and rhythm, marking a surge of confusion. This blend makes it almost impossible for the audience to separate themselves from the characters.
Cinematic Style
Climax unfolds as an increasing sequence and progresses through an escalating series of long takes. Throughout its 96-minute run time, there are only a few cuts. The choreography with the dancing and the camera movement is synchronized and timed with precision. The initial 20 minutes are high energy as the camera zooms in on the dance troupe, showcasing their performance, showcasing their skill and team cohesion.
After the drug kicks in, the camera, like a character, begins to float and spin to match the character’s perceptions. It may even flip Hawaiian style. The lighting shifts from warm tones to harsh reds and greens as well, increasing the claustrophobic and menacing feel of the movie.
With no-shots being scripted, Noé gave the actors loose scenarios to work with. This allowed the actors to improvise. The result is an interaction that appears raw, making the decomposition feel genuine rather than choreographed.
Reception
Climax has been universally acclaimed for its technical aspects and its atmosphere for the deep immersion. The majority are even praising the dance sequence at the beginning saying that it is the most enjoyable of the modern period. It was also noted that Sofia Bouella, along with her other roles, and her performance was masterful.
The film’s focus on violence, sex, and psychological deterioration is bound to create mixed responses. Exhilarating or exhausting, the responses leaned towards a spectrum Gaspar Noé’s Climax is bound to stimulate. Provocation aside, the movie gave rise to discourse over whether its thesis was profound or if the movie was merely an exercise in artful cinematography.
Despite the contrasting interpretations, Climax Noé is credited for is a Noé’s marked filmography and an innovative attempt to blend narrative storytelling with immersive audiovisual art.
The blend of Gaspar Noé’s name and genre rarely equates to something traditional, and Climax is a perfect example. The film serves as an immersive experience aimed to evoke residential feelings. The audience is led on a terrifying yet joyous journey in a singular physical realm.
The movie serves as a resounding toast to the compassion of human ingenuity while simultaneously acts as a contrasting warning on the fragility of social connections. Climax becomes a dual-pronged attack as it encapsulates the dichotomy society sperates conflicting ideas. And while many are bound to question who laced the sangria with drugs, the truth is the narrative of the world around us springs in the elusive harmony that swiftly metamorphoses into chaos.
Watch Free Movies on Fmovies