A beautiful transsexual prostitute working the back alleys of Paris is kidnapped and locked in an abandoned house. There Tiresia (Clara Choveaux/Thiago Teles) is tied up to an old and filthy bed. In a few days her eyes will be torn out with a pair of scissors.

Dark, cruel, and utterly disturbing Bertrand Bonello's Tiresia (2003) is a film that rivals the energy of Gaspar Noe's Ireversible (2002). Based on the ancient Greek myth about Tiresias, the blind prophet who was born both male and female, Tiresia takes place in a modern world where the "dark ages" are only referred to in history books.

In the modern world of Bertrand Bonello however half-naked transvestites are also selling their bodies while men in luxurious cars are "shopping" the streets while Beethoven's 7th Symphony sounds over the slums of Paris. Everything here has a price! And amidst all of the disturbing images of human degradation an ancient Greek myth is brought to life. Astounding!

I think it is fair to say that there will be no "undecided" viewers amongst those who see Tiresia. One would be either tremendously moved by the honest and often scary look of this film or one would simply dismiss it as being exploitative, pretentious, and arty. I also believe that unlike the above-mentioned Irrevesible, a film that many now unjustifiably use as a moral barometer in conventional cinema, Tiresia will spur much stronger reactions for its explicit depiction of violence and sex.

If you are familiar with the Greek myth about Tiresias then most certainly the climax in Bertrand Bonello's Tiresia won't be much of a surprise for you. Rather I would think that you will be interested in finding how the French director gets there and what "updates" the story has undergone. I assure you there is something both visceral and lyric about the manner in which Tiresia is filmed; most certainly the use of two different actors playing the blind prophet is compelling.

After Bertrand Bonello's highly controversial The Pornographer (winner of the FIPRESCI Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001), a film that British censors unceremoniously deemed as being..."pornographic", many, myself included, thought that it would be rather difficult for the French director to surpass the hype he created with his earlier work. Together with Sebastien Lifshitz's Wild Side (2004), however, a film that also stirred the conventional critics' nest, Tiresia is the second film I saw recently that proved the doubter in me wrong. This film is as edgy and difficult to lock in a single classification as The Pornographer was.

A quick look at the powerful cast in Tiresia also reveals that there were plenty of well-established actors willing to rewrite the myth of Tiresias-Lou Castel from Marco Bellocchio's I Pugni in Tasca a.k.a Fists in the Pocket (1965), Laurent Lucas from Marina de Van's disturbing Dans ma Peau a.k.a In My Skin (2002), as well as Alex Descas from Yolande Zauberman's moody La Petite Lola a.k.a Clubbed to Death (1996). As far as I can tell Bertrand Bonello's fearless approach to subjects not that many directors are willing to explore definitely has created plenty of admirers. Myself included!

Awards/ Recognition:

In 2003 Tiresia was nominated with Palm d'Or during the Cannes Film Festival (Bertrand Bonello).

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's the R1 DVD of Tiresia reveals a fine degree of detail, excellent contrast, and very well reproduced colors. The print is free of any damage and/or digital artifacts. I would like to point out that during the night scenes (which are abundant) contrast is handled exceptionally well and on a large TV screen the image quality is spectacular. The print has also been flagged for progressive-scan which eliminates the dreaded "ghosting" (surprisingly however I was able to spot a few very minor instances of "combing").

How Does the DVD Sound?

Unlike the British Tartan disc which offers a powerful DTS track (very appropriate for Beethoven's 7th Symphony) the only audio track you will find here is a basic Dolby Digital 2.0 French track with optional (quite large and yellow) English subtitles. I could not detect any detrimental hissing or pop-ups here yet as far as I am concerned the audio treatment is quite disappointing-this film really needs a more elaborate mix.

Extras:

This time around the R1 DVD comes a winner: unlike the Tartan disc where you will find only the theatrical trailer Koch Lorber provide us with an extremely informative interview with director Bertrand Bonello where he touches upon religion, politics, even the aftermath of September 11. I highly recommend that you watch this revealing interview. Next, there is a collage of interviews where the two actors playing Tiresia Clara Choveaux and Thiago Teles share their thoughts on the project as well as their initial impressions from the script for the film. Last but not least you will find the original French theatrical trailer.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this film and I commend Koch Lorber for bringing it to the American market. Yet, I must voice my partial disappointment with the fact that the R1 DVD was not provided with the deserving DTS track (or at least a 5.1 mix) the UK disc has. Furthermore, Koch Lorber seem to be moving in the right direction by converting, or at least making the effort to convert, their PAL masters properly. Please, make the final step and make sure that all DVDs are flagged for progressive-scan (properly converted PAL-NSTC discs) and there is no sign of either "ghosting" or "combing". There is no need for film aficionados to seek better prints overseas-YOU should be their first option. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.