MovieChat Forums > Hors Satan (2013) Discussion > One of Dumont's best films

One of Dumont's best films

posted 12 years ago by jitterbug_cowboy
6 replies | jump to latest

I know that's not really saying much but that's what I thought when I saw this.

I've seen L'Humanite, La Vie de Jesus, Twentynine Palms and Flandres so I'm pretty much know what to expect when watching a Dumont. I think all his films are pretty forgettable except for maybe a few scenes. They drag on too much and nothing much happens in them. I'm all for slow movies and art house flicks, so don't get me wrong here. Some of my favourite directors are Tsai Ming Liang, Apicathpong Weersethakul and Claire Denis.

I don't think Hors Satan is a cut above the rest of his films but it features a somewhat "likeable" lead (the girl with the dragon tattoo look alike girl) and a mysterious character playing the hobo. He could be either our saviour, the antichrist, a devil or Jesus himself. None of this is made clear but he performs miracles, exorcises demons, murders people and animals and brings people back to life. He also tells the girl to "walk" on water. I know, she's not really stepping on the water but it kind of reminds you of the bible story.

I found the sex scene by the river with that woman somewhat disturbing and I found myself thinking about it just before going to bed last night, even though I was laughing my ass off while watching it a few hours earlier. The way she was screaming was hilarious.

I also watched some of the long walking scenes in x2 fast forward on my DVD player. You won't be missing anything, I guarantee you that. It also makes the film more bearable. I would never do that with any other similar director, like Tsai Ming Liang or Apicathpong W. Their static, long, never ending shots are much richer than Dumont's.

ENOUGH from the clown!!!!!!!!

[–] PoppyTransfusion 11 years ago

This is my first exposure to anything from the director but having sat through Bela Tarr I felt confident that I could manage this film, which was intriguing from the sound of its title.

I find your remark about the lead female being likeable interesting because I found the film difficult and it was because of the characters; they were opaque to me and I didn't care for them.

I found the sex scene by the river with that woman somewhat disturbing and I found myself thinking about it just before going to bed last night, even though I was laughing my ass off while watching it a few hours earlier. The way she was screaming was hilarious.

I found this scene disturbing because I wasn't convinced he had a penis but something else and hence her screams. He also seemed to breathe something into her mouth just as he extracted from the mouth of the child earlier. When this woman went into the water later and surfaced looking rather spaced out I wondered if she was possessed.

Fatima had a fetish for a wiggle in her scoot

[–] jitterbug_cowboy 11 years ago

Trust me, compared to every other character in every other Dumont film, that girl is definitely likable. All his characters tend to be apathetic, emotionless and depressed but she was a bit different. I don't really remember the details but I remember that's what I was thinking when I was watching the film. It's been a while.

Bela Tarr is a master film maker. I would never fast forward a film by him, regardless of its slow pace. I absolutely loved his swan song The Turin Horse. That was an absolute masterpiece, in my opinion.

ENOUGH from the clown!!!!!!!!

[–] Falconeer 11 years ago

Why is "Outside Satan" listed as a new release? I saw this over a year ago and have it on dvd, but it's listed here as "opening soon?" Is it a re-release?

"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

[–] jitterbug_cowboy 11 years ago

Actually it was never released in the US or the UK until this month. I remember a cinema in Paris was screening it back in 2011.

ENOUGH from the clown!!!!!!!!

[–] AssetsonFire 11 years ago

What a dufus.

~.~
I WANT THE TRUTH! http://www.imdb.com/list/ze4EduNaQ-s/

[–] Tchoutoye 11 years ago

The themes are interesting, in a way it's "Antichrist Lite", and some individual scenes are worth watching.

But overall it's too vague and, more damning, the characterisations remain too underdeveloped for the film to be engaging in any way.