The fact that the standard cover of I Stand Alone is a close-up picture of a guy holding a gun to his own chin just above a bold-faced Warning should tell you something about this film. However, the fact that it was written and directed by Gaspar Noé (who also directed the equally unsettling films Irreversible and Enter The Void) eliminates any confusion as to what type of movie you're dealing with. Disturbing, dark storylines and beautiful imagery are two constants of Noés films, and I Stand Alone is no exception. The focus of the movie is a character known only as The Butcher (Philippe Nahon), a bitter and vitriolic man that seemingly hates everything and everyone. Through voiceover, you hear exactly what's inconveniencing him at any given moment - and there is indeed always something or another bothering him (whether it's his nagging girlfriend or the unemployment rate). I Stand Alone is an extremely disconcerting film focusing on the slow breakdown of a working class citizen, both mental and physical, and the depths his life manages to fall into. You watch as The Butcher deals with thoughts of incest, murder as well as suicide. There are several moments of the film that are tough to take. The savage beating of The Butcher's pregnant girlfriend is the most obvious cringe-worthy sequence, but an attempted incestuous reconciliation between The Butcher and his autistic daughter is equally disturbing. The film is surprisingly sensitive but it's also genuinely shocking.
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
