The first time I remember seeing Vincent Cassel on film was in a French movie by extreme director Gapsar Noe, called Irreversible. Those of you who have seen it can recall just how the film climbs under your skin and just stays with you for months (err, a lifetime) after seeing it. For those who have NOT seen Irreversible, the best way I could explain it is a day that goes in reverse, and it is very much the worst day of these people’s lives.
It is not an easy film to sit through at all, and part of this could be due to the unnervingly realistic rape scene of Monica Bellucci (Cassel’s real life wife until recent split), which is all shot in real time and lasts upwards of eight minutes long, with close-ups. I can completely understand why some people cannot make it through that movie, but even most people who see it seem to miss the point. The point of the film lies in the name.
Things happen in this movie that cannot be undone, ever. And though some may see it as a revenge movie, those people need to watch the film a little closer, especially the revenge scene that opens up the movie, because (SPOILER) if you pay close attention, Vincent Cassel’s character, Marcus, actually exacts revenge on the wrong person, and the rapist in the movie gets away without so much as a scratch, so therein lay the title (END SPOILER).
So after seeing that film and being blown away by it and the performances, I decided to look into some other films that Vincent Cassel was in to see if this guy was consistently the powerhouse he was in that film. I would go onto to discover that yes, he is mesmerizing in pretty much all he does. This brings me to my next point. The one role that we REALLY know him for over here on our shores, as oppose to Irreversible. I am, of course, talking about his turn as Thomas LeRoy in the brilliant Black Swan.
Come on, we can ALL admit that we wanted to punch him in the face repeatedly as the slimy ballet teacher who seems to be driving Natalie Portman to get a little TOO in touch with her dark side, but what you need to understand is, I view performances where actors and actresses can make you curl your fists with disgust as the highest level of performance.
Any actor can make me laugh. Any actor can seem angry. Any actor can show sadness. But when an actor oozes such slime that you feel yourself clawing to climb into the TV and punch them in the face until they weep, now that is the type of performance you will never forget, and that is what Cassel did with Black Swan.
I mean, think about that scene where he is telling Portman she can’t be the Black Swan because no man would “want to f*ck her” and then he proceeds to ask his lead dancer if he would f*ck her, as if it was a healthy, normal thing to ask in front of dozens of people. We all go on to learn that he is doing that ON PURPOSE to help summon the Black Swan in her, but regardless, the scene is disgusting, wholly uncomfortable, and for both of those reasons, absolutely brilliant.
Now onto the a few things you have NOT seen Vincent Cassel in.