High Tension

Cast: Cecile de France, Maiwenn, and Philippe Nahon 

Director: Alexandre Aja 

91 minutes (18) 2003

Second Sight 4K Ultra HD

Rating: 9/10

Review by Jonathan McCalmont

Cinema and literature are in a constant state of flux. Genre formulae and canons are not fixed, they are constantly challenged by new and innovative works that, invariably, invite not only imitation but also the re-examination of older works that were once considered little more than creative cul-de-sacs. Traditionally, horror films are made for very little money and with relatively inexperienced directors who make the most of lurid subject matters and formulaic storylines to secure high returns for their investors whilst learning their trade as directors. A glance at the history of French cinema will reveal Art house and mainstream traditions healthy enough to ensure that French film makers have never needed to pass through the crucible of genre filmmaking before maturing artistically. As a result, older French horror films tend to be either part of the Art-house tradition, or part of the trans-European exploitation films of 1960s and 1970s, centred not in France but in Italy.

Twenty years ago, High Tension (aka: Switchblade Romance) is the film that kick-started a wave of French horror cinema, and it is interesting to note how much of those genre films’ DNA is included in Alexandre Aja’s work. The story begins in a country house where Marie (Cecile de France) is staying with her friend Alex (Maiwenn Le Besco) and her family. Marie is masturbating in her room when she hears a sound downstairs. Going to investigate, she witnesses a large man with an obscured face brutally murdering Alex’s family before dragging Alex away and locking her in his van. Marie gives chase and sneaks into the van in the hope of freeing Alex. But who is the man with the obscured face? 

High Tension is notable not only for its levels of stress and incredible violence but also its no-nonsense approach to plot. Where many horror films spend an eternity introducing you to characters and delivering back-story, High Tension jumps almost straight into the action. However, this is not to say that the film is shallow. Aside from the genre conventions that the film plays with, it also through its use of imagery, and its plot development manages to say a number of interesting things about gender roles and how one perceives one-self. For example, is a willingness to use violence an inherently masculine trait and, as a result, are women who decide to use violence more masculine than those who don’t?

Most intriguingly, Aja adopts an Art house posture towards his audience. Rather than explicitly spelling out the film’s ideas and message through exposition, he allows the audience to draw its own conclusions and concoct its own ideas. This, along with the film’s awareness of the sexual politics of horror, has proved to be a hugely influential approach to the material.

Trailer: 

Bonus material:

• 4K UHD presented in HDR10+ approved by director Alexandre Aja
• New audio commentary by Dr Lindsay Hallam
• An Experiment In Suspense - new interview with Alexandre Aja
• The Man In The Shadows - new interview with writer Gregory Levasseur
• The Darker The Better - interview with cinematographer Maxime Alexandre
• The Great French Massacre - interview with special effects artist Giannetto De Rossi
• Only The Brave - Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on High Tension
• Archive ‘making of’ featurette
• Archive interview with Cecile De France
• Archive interview with Maiwenn
• Archive interview with Philippe Nahon