The lives of four unlucky mortals intertwine in this wrenching reflection on the politics of revenge. Alex (Johannes Krisch) is an ex-con planning for a life after crime with his Ukrainian girlfriend Tamara (Irina Potapenko), one of the prostitutes working under his shady, brothel-owning boss. The destiny of the two takes an accidental turn towards tragedy, when they cross paths with a police officer (Robert, played by Andreas Lust) just after robbing a bank, a final attempt to settle their debts.

As it happens, Robert and his wife Susanne (Ursula Strauss) are no less troubled. With problems in conceiving their own child, the latter is often left in a state of quiet desperation. Seeking peace for her mind, Susanne pays regular visits to a friendly old man (Johannes Thanheiser) living near her country house. He turns out to be Alex’s grandfather, thus providing the missing link for Alex to settle his simmering lust for retribution.

Told with barren dialogue and no background music, this understated Austrian arthouse drama pitches humanity against the cruelty of fate, casting its characters adrift in muted emotional anguish, while letting them struggle for their own salvation. Spielmann asks for no sympathy from his audience, instead aiming at an understanding that’s beyond the realms of justice and morality. While revenge may be a dish best served cold, Revanche throws its characters into the cold, before daring them to answer: ‘what then?’

Edmund Lee

Screens on Mar 26 and Apr 12

Read our other features:
Leader of the pack: Daniel Wu
Time regained: Wong Kar Wai
Presidential assassination: Oliver Stone
Van Dammage: JCVD

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