New French Extremity - Political Controversy

Political Controversy

While films associated with the New French Extremity are unified by their transgressive content, critics and scholars have also highlighted their tendency to incorporate social and political themes. According to film scholar Tim Palmer, " offers incisive social critiques, portraying contemporary society as isolating, unpredictably horrific and threatening".

Writer and film scholar Jon Towlson says that "the New French Extremity movement, can... be seen most significantly as a response to the rise of right-wing extremism in France during the last ten years..., a response that filmmakers are in the process of working through".

Still, films of the New French Extremity do not appear to reflect a unified social or political platform. Some have been noted to include politically progressive commentary while others have been called conservative, homophobic and fascistic.

Critics disagree as to whether the sensational nature of many New French Extremity films disqualifies them as legitimate expressions of social, political and philosophical commentary. Some critics and scholars have judged the movement's treatment of such themes positively; others have dismissed it as tacked on, miscalculated or even offensive.

Several films associated with the New French Extremity have generated significant controversy upon their premieres. Irréversible and Trouble Every Day, which respectively debuted at the 2002 and 2001 Cannes film festivals, were noteworthy for prompting widespread walkouts among audience members. Martyrs was received similarly upon its debut at Cannes 2008, with audience members reportedly walking out, fainting, vomiting and bursting into tears.