Calvaire (2004)
AKA: The Ordeal
Year: 2004
Directed by: Fabrice Du Welz
Starring: Laurent Lucas (Marc Stevens), Jackie Berroyer (Bartel), Jean-Luc Couchard (Boris), Brigitte Lahaie (Mademoiselle Vicky), Philippe Nahon (Old man at the end)
Country: Belgium; Effed Up Belgian Films; Effed Up European Cinema
Language: French (English Subtitles)
Runtime: 01:27:39
Genres: Violence Against-Relationships with Animals, Captivity-Kidnapping, CrossDressing, Gruesome, Rape-Sexual-Violence against Men, Torture
Plot – Spoilers:
A mediocre singer Marc Stevens earns a living and a feeling of success by performing at old age homes usually around festive dates. For the lonely sad people he entertains, his relative youth and vivacity is a welcome relief and something they yearn for and look forward to every year. After one such performance, Marc heads to the South of Belgium for another show but gets stuck on a rainy lonely stretch in the woods when his sputtering van gives up on him. A weird looking man who’s searching for his lost dog appears and guides him to the village inn where the old innkeeper Bartel, offers to help him fix his van the next day.
However Marc’s departure gets delayed in myriad circumstances with Bartel not in a hurry to let him leave while also desperate to convince him that they’re both artists. March puts this behaviour down to loneliness when he hears Bartel’s sad tale of his wife Gloria dumping him.
What Marc Stevens, the singing showman, doesn’t realize is that he is about to receive the kind of attention he never craved….
Laurent Lucas is one of this era’s finest and it’s hard to imagine anyone else conveying torment with such misery.
I can definitely tell that this movie gets better with every subsequent viewing. Laurent Lucas’s performance is more than notable, and the film seems to be packed to the brim with metaphors and symbolism. I am very excited to analyze this film more, but for now, I can easily recommend giving it a watch.
First Impression: 7.9/10
Great movie, very impressive for a first-time director. I’d highly recommend it to fans of atmospheric slow-burn horror films with a dab of metaphorical narratives.
Very nice movie. It get more and more tense as scenes get by. Poor Marc.
Everytime he sings everybody wants to rape him.
the village is like something peculiar event that maybe happenned long time ago for singer named gloria. everytime marc sings it is similar like gloria. thats why those lonely oldman try to get him no matter it becomes another person.
yeah great film, totally whacked out story and characters, just the kind of shit I love… THANKS AGAIN EFFEDUP
Strange movie. I thought it was fabulous. I recommend.
Strange film, feels like its packed with symbols and metaphors and that I’m missing a lot, but superb acting by Laurent Lucas!
wow that was a waste of time!
French movies are awesome!Thanks EUM.
Very unusual movie, the fact that a guy is being tormented and hunted instead of a woman. U dont see many of this type and it has suspense and weirdness and overall I liked it and thought it was well done.
I remembered the song from somewhere (I’m Belgian, never seen the movie before) and it’s got a sticky melody.
Marc Aryan – Tu es bien trop belle ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so1wktIRW4o )
After the “act” you put the pig on the barbecue roast and voila:
It´s a famous belgian national dish – the Sodom Bleu. 😀
Calling GLORRRIIIA ,Gloria,Gloria
I think they got your number
I think they got your alias, that you’ve been living under (Marc Stevens) ????
Amazing fricken Movie
What a wonderfully strange film… The apple of my eye, and he was the apple… The tears were a river, and so were his… That Gloria had a lucky escape 7. 5/10
watched this movie a year ago and i cant stop thinking of it. the digusting taste it left in my mouth is incredible i love it
This is the first film that I saw directed by Fabrice Du Welz. I’ve seen this one a few times and it is a great film. Many disturbing sequences, especially the scene in the bar. I checked out other films directed by Fabrice Du Welz. There is little information on the internet about most of these films and I was not able to find 4 out of 9 but the ones I watched are truly memorable. Here is a list of his films in order:
1. Folles aventures de Thierry Van Hoost (1997) This is an animated short film that I was not able to find much information about. I couldn’t even find out how long it is. I’d really like to see this one.
2. Quand on est amoureux c’est merveilleux (A Wonderful Love, 1999) Very bizarre 23 minute film. Available on the internet.
3. Calvaire (The Ordeal, 2004) A great film.
4. Vinyan (2008) This one must have been expensive and exhausting to make due to the locations which I believe were filmed in Thailand. It gets middle of the road reviews but I liked it a lot and appreciate the effort that went in to making it. 4 out of 5. Available on the internet.
5. Alleluia (2014) Even though I haven’t seen some of his other films, I will go out on a limb and say that this is his best movie. Very limited information is available about this film but I was able to find it and watch it on the internet. 5 stars. Lola Dueñas is spectacular and Laurent Lucas (of “Calvaire” fame) is magnificent as well.
6. Colt 45 (2014) I couldn’t find this one to watch online. Limited info except that Fabrice Du Welz ran out of money during production. When he obtained the money to finish it the 2 lead actors refused to come back to work on it. Welz put together what he had already produced but refused to stand behind or promote the film. He stated it almost ended his career.
7. Message from the King (2016) Couldn’t find this online either. It gets mixed to negative reviews and I’m not real jacked up to see it. The budget was $10 million and the box office take was $315,132. Ouch.
8. Adoration (2019) Available to watch online. This one gets rave reviews and was nominated for and won several awards. It’s about a teenage boy that falls in love with a dangerously mentally ill girl about his age. I thought it was really good. 4 and a half out of 5.
9. Inexorable (2021) Couldn’t find this online. This one gets good reviews. It looks interesting and I would like to see it.