Revanche

2008 Directed by Götz Spielmann

Whose fault is it if life doesn't go your way?

Ex-con Alex plans to flee to the South with his girl after a robbery. But something terrible happens and revenge seems inevitable.

Johannes Krisch Irina Potapenko Michael-Joachim Heiss Andreas Lust Hanno Pöschl Ursula Strauss Johannes Thanheiser Linde Prelog Magdalena Kropiunig Toni Slama Nicoletta Prokes Rainer Gradischnig Max Schmiedl Johannes Zeiler

Alternative Titles

把哀伤留给复仇, Revanche - Ti ucciderò

drama crime romance

121 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Noah Gibson-Baker ★★★★½ 2

Revanche translated to English means revenge, but it isn't a typical revenge story. It brings a welcome twist to a genre that is already oversaturated. At this stage revanche is the only götz spielmann film I've seen, and now I can't wait to see more. The direction is great and the screenplay is, I think, one of the best ever. The characters are written so unbelievably well, they all feel very real and all of the decisions they make feel justified. This is extremely impressive considering how important some of the decisions made are.
The realism is absolutely my favourite part of this film. I already mentioned how real the characters feel, but that's not the extent of the realism.…
Review by Jizzmonkey ★★★★ 1

Some wonderful wood-chopping technique on display here.
Review by Mike Owens ★★★★★ 2

A brilliant and impressive crime thriller.
Review by Shawn Palmquist ★★★★½ 3

88/100
Brilliant crime-thriller. It's like The Place Beyond the Pines if you were to cut out that shitty third act and keep following the two main characters even further down the rabbit hole. It goes in directions I didn't expect and manages to stay gripping throughout while maintaining a sense of realism in the decisions being made by these people in a lose-lose situation. Things never fly off the scale of believability which for me is a common problem in this sub-genre.
Not much else to say about this one...a real must see if you are at all a fan of thrillers or crime films.
Review by Steve G 🐝 ★★★★ 4

The World Is More Than Enough 2: Back To The 30 Countries (22/30 - Austria)
Perhaps the first major thing that struck me about this splendid movie is just how well director Götz Spielmann uses the depth of his locations.
There is a marvellous scene near the start of Revanche where Irina Potapenko is getting changed at the brothel she works at. In the same room there are three other women, and she is getting changed at the back. Keeping a close eye on the woman at the front, you notice that she shoots her a couple of really subtle but dirty looks out of the corner of her eye. You later learn that Potapenko is the 'favourite' of the…
Review by Gaspar ★★★★★ 3

Ray Stussy and Nikki Swango's Excellent Austrian Adventure
Review by Larry ★★★★ 4

Film Number 13 on PinHeadLarry145's 30 Days 30 Countries Film Challenge!
Austria, 2009.
"Nothing could possibly go wrong."
Ha! You poor stupid bastard! Haha! You're in a revenge movie, ya dingus. Of course SOMETHING is going to go wrong.
That seemingly ill fated line is from Alex, the man at the center of Austrian crime/drama film Revanche. The film starts off with a still quiet pond. And the surface of the water is suddenly broken by an object being thrown in. After the ripples disappear the film officially begins. If I had to sum up Revanche I would have to say that it mostly resembles just that; quiet tranquility being broken by sudden impact and the subsequent ripples it causes.…
Review by Adam Cook ★★★★ 2

It is a shame it has taken almost two years for this highly regarded Austrian film to hit UK shores but thankfully it was worth the wait. There are a lot of traditional 'flaws' in this film, details and plot choices that in other movies would annoy the hell out of me, but here they all just work brilliantly. It builds on coincidence after coincidence but it unfolds beautifully and the contrivances seem to fit with the Shakespearean mood.
On the surface it seems a pretty standard revenge film but Revanche goes out of its way to avoid easy categorising, instead it throws a number of spanners in the work, some predictable and some rather surprising. It is a slow burner but one that is never less than engaging and most of the time riveting. The performances are very strong, and whilst many will hate the end I thought it worked perfectly.
Review by Varghese ★★★★★

"It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it; every complaint already contains revenge"
- Friedrich Nietzsche
What is it about Europeans and the concept of thriller that meshes so perfectly? This slow burn mind game will slowly creep up on you and when it finally reaches the third act it will strike a dagger into your soul.The director uses serenity and sounds of nature as a technique in country surroundings to evoke the feelings of the characters who undergo sorrow,tranquility and finally harmony.Restrained performances,subtle yet beautiful camerawork this one is MUST WATCH!!!
Review by jeffrey smith ★★★★½ 4

Elegant. Raw. Incredible.
Nearly everything about this is so, so good. Everyone in this belongs in that small handful of performances that just feel so raw and full of emotion. I was interrupted a few times while watching it, but it didn’t take me away from the experience. Hell, maybe it did. Maybe that’s the reason I’m giving it a nine. Anyways, one of the best things I’ve seen this year.
Review by Wesley R. Ball ★★★★

An intricately weaved plot of passion and crime, Revanche is a slow boiling film that builds its tension in almost the same fashion as The Witch: natural sounds and surroundings. The absence of a soundtrack creates a feeling of tension that matches the plot and its intensity, allowing for a great and unique cinematic experience. A fascinatingly written story with a thrilling domino effect that all connects with sublime delicacy.
Review by Andy Ferguson ★★★★½

This is one of the more beautifully framed, leisurely paced thrillers I've seen in a long time. It's also just one of the best movies I've seen in at least a month, period. I now have made it a huge note to seek out other films by Gotz Spielmann, the writer/director of this incredibly engaging story that revolves around a robbery gone awry and the effects it has thereafter on the few people involved.
I'm not sure that I could find the right words, at least not at the moment, to correctly describe just how well done this film is. The cinematography is particularly awe-inspiring, with each shot seemingly thought about in an obsessive, meticulous manner. Most of the people…

Recent reviews

Review by BenBlandford ★★★★½

A beautiful and stylized revenge story that subverts your expectations straying away from what would have made the film formulaic and forgettable. It instead gives the audience a different kind of harsh vengeance and exploration into how the events resulting in tragedy affect each character.
Review by anttoes ★★★★½

I want to live on a cute little Austrian farm and chop wood and play accordion all day
Review by Drew ★★★★½

This film really left a pit in my stomach, but in a good way. It’s such a phenomenal take on the revenge story, in that it slowly unfolds, while still remaining thrilling throughout. Rather than building up to a riveting climax, it takes its time with the characters, and allows you to build empathy for each one of them.
Review by nathan ★★★★

I aimed at the tires.
This was excellent. The kind of movie that really holds your interest due to excellent characters and artful directing.
Review by Dadddddyyyyyy ★★★★

BEST. REVENGE. EVER.
Review by Alex Gagliardi ★★★★★

At first the film feels pretty typical with how it’s made and how the story progresses, but then it just turns and never goes back. Amazing, somber, I think we can all take something away from this as human beings
Review by bretty_bretty ★★★★½

Watched this again tonight for the first time in over a decade. Didn’t remember all the details of the plot but the atmosphere, the stillness, and the austere sound design stuck with me from that first viewing. I think I liked it even more the second time.
Review by Phillip Porter ★★★★

Really only loses points because I felt my interest/attention slipping away quite a few times, though Revanche always brought it back.
This movie looks fantastic, and the performances are top tier. Would 100% recommend.
Review by Connor Groat ★★★½

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

I didn't want to like it, largely due to the girlfriend getting fridged, but so much still did work.
Review by Drew Haddad ★★★★★

Took me a little bit to get into it, but it completely won me over. Fantastic. Love it.
Review by David Sosa ★★★★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Most films tend to get caught up in heightened reality, which is expected of course. Practically all fictional stories are meant to be some form of drama that reflects or alters our own world. But what matters is the emotion a film can convey.
It's similar to a lake. The current stays all the same until that initial impact. Typically referred to as the "inciting incident", this is where the turning point occurs. When all hell breaks loose and the journey begins. Yet, rarely do you ever see a film where the lives affected by said incident are fully realized. Where the characters act in their own world, unaware of what's to come. This is exactly what Revanche does.
Now…
Review by WastedTalent

Criterion.