October 22, 2003
Les Rivières Pourpres (2000)
[3 - Enjoyed it]
What are the Crimson Rivers? If you have gotten to the end of the French detective story Les Rivières Pourpres (2000) [The Crimson Rivers] and you are still unsure what just happened, don't worry there is nothing wrong with you, that is just the way the movie is. In order to understand the story of Crimson Rivers you have to open your mind to the creepy story, not let the overly present mood music distract you, and most importantly watch the extras on the DVDs where the story line is explained. If you are paying close attention and are willing to do some thinking about what you just saw afterwards you may very well figure the story out yourself, but I would still recommend the interviews and featurettes to anyone intrigued by this movie. Not only will you get some detail on the intricate and intertwining plot lines but you will be treated to some of the secrets of how the astoundingly beautiful and disturbing scenes of the movie were shot. Afterwards you may want to take it for another spin, this time take the time to enjoy the delicate mastery with which director Mathieu Kassovitz captures the grandure of the French mountain peaks, the tension of the detective work and the eerie emotion of the biopsies.
I am eagerly awaiting Kassovitz' next release Gothika (2003), he so impressed me with the style of Rivers that I now have him marked as a new talent to keep tabs on. I also recommend looking out for Vincent Cassel and of course Jean Reno who just finished work on the sequel: Les Rivières Pourpres 2 - Les Anges de L'apocalypse(2004) [Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse].
