Is there any reason behind Irréversible's reverse chronological order?

Is there any reason behind Irréversible's reverse chronological order? - Grayscale Photo of Ship on Sea

From the Wikipedia article for the movie, Memento:

The purpose of the fragmented reverse sequencing is to force the audience into a sympathetic experience of Leonard's defective short-term memory, where prior events are not recalled, since the audience has yet to see them.

What about Irréversible's reverse chronology?



Best Answer

As the name suggests actions you make in life are irreversible, one action leads to another and you can't go back to change them.

This film analyzes what actions lead to the brutal actions of Marcus (Vincent Cassel).
Doing this in reverse order forces the viewer to reevaluate his view of Marcus, because in retrospect his actions can be justified by the unfortunate events that happened to him.

Shown in chronological order this film would be a "normal" revenge thriller but the reverse chronological order gives this film a special psychological aspect.




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What is the purpose of reverse chronological order?

Reverse chronology is a method of storytelling whereby the plot is revealed in reverse order. In a story employing this technique, the first scene shown is actually the conclusion to the plot.

Is reverse chronology possible?

Many stories employ flashback, showing prior events, but whereas the scene order of most conventional films is A-B-C-etc., a film in reverse chronology goes Z-Y-X-etc. In interactive fiction, reverse chronology is a well-known technique.

Where is reverse chronological order used mostly?

Reverse chronological order is best used for your work history as well as your education history. If you have certifications and are listing dates associated with those, be sure to list them in the same ordering system.

Why is Irreversible in reverse?

This film analyzes what actions lead to the brutal actions of Marcus (Vincent Cassel). Doing this in reverse order forces the viewer to reevaluate his view of Marcus, because in retrospect his actions can be justified by the unfortunate events that happened to him.



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Images: Mathias Reding, Shazard R., Anna Shvets, Svetlana Romashenko