Trouble Every Day
(2001)
Dir: Claire Denis
This film reminded me that there’s a fundamental difference between watching a story that’s been filmed and a film. In a film, camera movement and shot length compose a visual pace; color, lighting and sound set a mood. These rhythms and feelings blend to tell a story for the eyes and ears that isn’t dependent upon language, much more like a song than a play or novel. It’s these films that, if allowed to, can creep inside a viewer and manipulate one’s moods, emotions and, most ominously, desires. When the desire depicted on screen is a sexual lust for blood, it’s can be a fucking upsetting experience. While watching Trouble Every Day I found myself in a state of sexual confusion when a provocative love scene transformed into gore; arousal became horror in an instant. I asked an inventor/friend, Ryan, with whom I watched the movie, what he thought about the experience.
How about the big love/murder scene at the end?
Um… wait don’t put the “um” in there, I thought it was nice how you couldn’t tell whether she [the victim] was enjoying it or in pain for a while. Also, I thought that shit was pretty hot.
I noticed you seemed excited. You were shifting and adjusting quite a bit.
Yeah, well, you don’t see a lot of porn and blood together, so it was a real treat.
Yeah, you rushed off to the bathroom shortly after that and stayed a while, no?
I wanted to see what piss and jizz looked like together. Once I saw that, I was in a trance of amazement. Plus, I’d had a few Coors during the movie.
