Calvaire (2004)

Director:

Fabrice Du Welz

Writers:

Fabrice Du Welz
Romain Protat

Release Date:

9 March 2005 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Tagline:

Some people would kill for company.

Plot:

A singer's car breaks down deep in the woods.

Plot Keywords:

Van | Woods | Singer | Inn | Surrealism

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Laurent Lucas	...	Marc Stevens
Brigitte Lahaie	...	Mademoiselle Vicky
Gigi Coursigny	...	Madame Langhoff
Jean-Luc Couchard	...	Boris
Jackie Berroyer	...	Bartel
Philippe Nahon	...	Robert Orton
Philippe Grand'Henry	...	Tomas Orton
Jo Prestia	...	Fermier Mylène
Marc Lefebvre	...	Lucien
Alfred David	...	Roland (as Alfred David-Pingouin)
Alain Delaunois	...	Gáant
Vincent Cahay	...	Stan Le Pianiste
Johan Meys	...	Rosto
Romain Protat	...	Figurant Dans Le Bar
Damien Waselle	...	Figurant Dans Le Bar
Viktor Mikol	...	Figurant Dans Le Bar
Nedzad Kurtagic	...	Figurant Dans Le Bar
Yves Vaucher	...	Figurant Dans Le Bar
Borhan Du Welz	...	Enfant Dans Le Bois
Maxime Dewitte	...	Enfant Dans Le Bois
Alexis Dewitte	...	Enfant Dans Le Bois
Liam Gilson	...	Enfant Dans Le Bois
Raphaël Schmidt	...	Enfant Dans Le Bois
Eliot Cahay	...	Enfant Dans Le Bois
Farkhad Alekperov	...	Enfant Dans Le Bois

Directed by
Fabrice Du Welz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Fabrice Du Welz
Romain Protat

Produced by
Michael Gentile	....	producer
Eddy Géradon-Luyckx	....	producer
Philippe Kauffmann	....	associate producer
Guillaume Malandrin	....	associate producer
Donato Rotunno	....	associate producer
Vincent Tavier	....	producer

Original Music by
Vincent Cahay

Cinematography by
Benoît Debie

Film Editing by
Sabine Hubeaux

Production Design by
Manu de Meulemeester

Costume Design by
Geraldine Picron

Makeup Department
Aurélie Elich	....	chief hair stylist
Aurélie Elich	....	chief makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sébastien Fernandes Tasch	....	second assistant director
Jean-Louis Frémont	....	assistant director

Art Department
Stéphanie Cordet-Acbard	....	set trainee
Monique Marnette	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Benoît Biral	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bertrand Boudaud	....	foley artist
Emmanuel de Boissieu	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marc Engels	....	sound
Frédéric Meert	....	sound editor
Ingrid Simon	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Alain Couty	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Benjamin Ageorges	....	digital compositor
Stephane Bidault	....	visual effects supervisor
Christophe Chanvin	....	visual effects supervisor
Jean-Antoine Lacolle	....	digital compositor
Matthias Weber	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Pascale Noël	....	stunt safety

Camera and Electrical Department
Luca Etter	....	still photographer
Jean-François Hensgens	....	focus puller
Témoudjine Janssens	....	grip
Didier Versolatto	....	electrician

Other crew
Laora Bardos-Feltoronyi	....	script supervisor
Jean-Yves Dupuis	....	production administrator
Hélène Lambotte	....	production assistant
Adriana Piasek-Wanski	....	production assistant
Felix Sorger	....	production consultant
Saveria Thomasi	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• La Parti Productions
• Tarantula
• Studio Canal
• Film, The
• Backup Films (in association with)
• Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Communauté Française de Belgique
• Fonds National de Soutien à la Production Audiovisuelle du Luxembourg
• Télédistributeurs Wallons

Distributors

• Mars Distribution (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Inspire Pictures (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Palm Pictures (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• I-On New Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Millennium Storm (2005) (Italy) (video)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Palisades-Tartan Acquisitions (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Stardis Pictures (2006) (Spain) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Bollux  film stock provided by
• Bollux  grip rental company
• Bollux  tracking vehicle and low loader
• Eye-Lite  camera equipment provided by
• Film & Television Facilities  generators
• Location Consulting & Facilities  generators

Also Known As:

"The Ordeal" - Europe (English title), International (English title)
"Calvaire" - Italy (DVD title)
"Calvaire - Tortur des Wahnsinns" - Germany (DVD title)
"Calvario" - Spain
"Hentai mura" - Japan (DVD title)
"Martyrium" - Germany (DVD title)
"Pokoljárás" - Hungary (imdb display title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

Belgium | France | Luxembourg

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

UK:18 | Australia:MA | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Singapore:R21 | Japan:R-15 | Italy:VM14 | Ireland:18 | Germany:18 | New Zealand:R18 | USA:Not Rated | France:-16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Bullingen, Belgium

Company:

La Parti Productions

Trivia:

Laurent Lucas' audition for the role of Marc lasted 45 minutes as he performed the scene where Marc puts on his show makeup and extended out the scene as though it were a real event.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: "ELECRTICITE" is spelled during the end credits instead of "ELECTRICITE" (Electricity)

Movie Connections:

References The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Dark, demented Euro film...

Saw this film as part of the Gala Opening for the Cinemuerte Horror Film Festival in Vancouver recently. I kinda knew what to expect from reading a description of the film before going in, but it still was quite the cinematic experience.

Suffice it to say, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend this film to anyone in my particular circle of friends (well, maybe a few), but the film had me mesmerized, and since I do enjoy dark cinema, I'd have to say I certainly enjoyed it for what it was. There were images and scenes in the film that stayed with me after, and it certainly had a noticeable effect on the audience attending. Some liked it. Some hated it. Some didn't enjoy the "pig squealing"...like one girl in the audience noted after the film had ended. (you'll understand more towards the latter-half of the film) Elements of "Deliverance", "Southern Comfort", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" are all here, with more dark humour involved. Dark, very dark humour.

The cinematography was incredible. You've never seen the wilderness shot to look so menacing, yet maintaining a strange, dread-filled beauty. And yet it also seems endless, as if civilization is nowhere near where the events in the film take place. I unconsciously wrapped my arms around myself during the movie, from both the tension in the film, and from feeling I myself was out there in the chill of the woods.

I won't go into the plot-line, since a few others already have, but this film gives good credence to making sure that if you go driving in the country, your engine has had a recent tune-up, and you've got plenty of gas in the tank. AND to make sure you're cautious about the seeming kindness of strangers...