Raw (2016)


Written and directed by Julie Ducournau, Raw tells of veterinary student Justine (Garance Marillier), who is subjected to a series of humiliating and cruel initiations by the older students. Among the degrading rituals, Justine, a lifelong vegetarian, is forced to eat raw meat by her older sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf). This act awakens within Justine an insatiable bloodlust and craving for human flesh…

Raw is an unsettling, full-blooded odyssey of self-discovery and actualisation told from a fiercely feminist vantage. It stalks similar territory to titles such as Ginger Snaps and The Company of Wolves in its unwavering exploration of female sexuality (which historically has been shamed or out-rightly denied by patriarchal discourse). Indeed, there are several irresistible parallels with Ginger Snaps, not least the complex, often toxic bond between the sisters, and the intense cravings Justine experiences as her body reacts to her new appetites. And, like the Fitzgerald sisters, Justine begins to gain a deeper understanding of her own identity through her descent into othered ‘monstrosity.’ Unlike the aforementioned titles, Raw doesn't feature moments of outward, physical transformation, as Ducournau opts to use the figure of the cannibal to explore notions of adult sexuality. The protagonist gradually attains agency and self-determination through an unyielding appetite for human flesh. 

While themes of body-horror and transformation underpin the story, Ducournau's screenplay maintains a strong focus on characterisation. The sisters, and their bond, is always centred as they work towards understanding who they are and the two very separate paths they are on. As the story progresses, the dynamics of the relationship shift as Justine gradually emerges from Alexia's shadow, which creates tension between the two. When Alexia lures Justine to the morgue after a drunken party, events culminate in a nightmarish incident, the humiliating aftermath of which parallels an act of revenge porn, revealing Alexia’s deep-rooted jealousy of her younger sibling. Justine’s transformation is further reflected in her changing relationship with her gay roommate Adrien (Rabah Nait Oufella), which creates an uneasy tension. The way Justine observes and interacts with him gradually shifts from shy, curious glances, to strong, hungry gazes. Self-assured Adrien eventually becomes a confidant to her and this close connection intensifies when they have sex and Justine has to restrain herself by biting down on her own arm. 

Ducournau lenses Justine's transformation in a highly clinical, corporeal manner, never rendering it fantastical. Even the gorier moments are never sensationalised, ensuring they have an incredibly potent impact. Justine initially exists in a transitional twilight space that hovers between childhood and adulthood. She arrives at university from a very protective home life, mollycoddled by her parents. When her taste for flesh is awakened, a ravenous sexuality is also unshackled, and Justine transitions from a place of innocence and curiosity to desire, determination and power. The university setting works to contextualise Ducournau’s detached observational approach to exploring Justine's transition, which is lensed in as matter-of-factly a manner as that of Justine and her classmates observing the dissection of animal carcasses in class. 

Raw is an immersive, intimate body-horror with compelling, fully fleshed characters and searing with unforgettable imagery. 

Popular posts from this blog

The Soul Eater (2024)

Image
Adapted from Alexis Laipsker’s novel, and written by Annelyse Batrel and Ludovic Lefebvre, The Soul Eater is the latest offering from Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, who burst onto the scene with the infamous Inside (2007), a major title in the New French Extremity wave at the turn of the 21st century. Their work since, including blistering titles such as Livid (2011), Among the Living (2014) and The Deep House (2021), has demonstrated their willingness to push boundaries and step outside of convention. Theirs is a wholly distinctive approach to genre. Part gripping police procedural, part Gallic Gothic shocker - with shadowy traces of Folk Horror present in some striking imagery - The Soul Eater follows two detectives who are sent to the sleepy French mountain town of Roquenoir. Elizabeth Guardiano (Virginie Ledoyen), an inspector in the National Police, is investigating a series of gruesome murder-suicides, and Franck de Rolan (Paul Hamy), a cop from the other French polic
Read more

Experiment IV – Kate Bush

Image
A couple of years back I wrote a piece about the influence of horror cinema and literature on the music of Kate Bush. I recently acquired The Whole Story , a ‘best of’ compilation released by Kate in 1986, and have since become rather ‘obsessed’ with one of the tracks featured on it: Experiment IV . Said track was written especially for the compilation and released to promote it. Along with the accompanying video it once again demonstrates Kate Bush’s singular vision as a musician, an artist - and a lover of horror. Taking the ‘storyline’ from the song quite literally, the video tells of a top secret and highly dubious government experiment to create a sound that can kill. That sound is, of course , portrayed by Kate in the video – initially as an alluring siren-like wraith (underpinning the notion of deadly music at the heart of the song; sirens lured seamen to watery graves by bewitching them with their irresistible but deadly voices), and then as a nightmarish spectre reminiscen
Read more

Beware the Autumn People...

Image
Having just finished reading Ray Bradbury’s creepy carnival-based Something Wicked This Way Comes , I was incredibly struck by his vivid, immensely atmospheric prose; particularly the following passage, which proved to be one of the most evocative of the whole novel. It appears late in the story, as Charles Halloway is talking to his young son Will about the duel nature of mankind. He is attempting to explain the existence of evil in the world, and warn his son about the kind of people who have completely succumbed to their darkest desires; so much so they’ve been utterly consumed by them. He recalls an old religious tract written by Pastor Newgate Phillips in which these individuals are referred to as 'Autumn People'...  “For these beings, fall is ever the normal season, the only weather, there be no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they go? The grave. Does blood stir their veins? No: the night wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What spea
Read more