Wounds may, well, heal with time. But, what about the ugly scars which remain as some fossilized prints of our past wounds ? While the festering wounds cause physical pain, don't the scars, which could last for even a lifetime, continue to corrode us emotionally ? Aren't they, in some ways, the pincers from a past which stretch out into our present and future to puncture out the winds of mirth from our sails ? How does one live with such scars, much less make peace with these artifacts of an agonizing past ? Could seeking revenge for the past make cleanse those scars from our very beings ? Does revenge provide any redemption ?
Alex is a ex-con in Vienna acting as a muscleman for a ruthless pimp Konecny. Alex is in love with Tamara, one of the prostitutes working for Konecny. Konecny, too, has an eye on Tamara and is possessive about her. Consequently, Alex and Tamara keep their affair, a secret and plan to escape Konecny to make a fresh beginning. Alex proposes a bank robbery which could fund their escape from their present misery and provide for a new life. Despite the initial apprehensions of Tamara, Alex manages to convince her, albeit after conceding to her demand that she would accompany him and wait for him in the getaway car. While the robbery itself goes without a hitch, in a quirky twist of fate, their getaway is obstructed by a loner cop, Robert, who was patrolling the area. Robert ends up fatally shooting Tamara despite aiming for the tires of their car.
Alex, who is absolutely disillusioned on Tamara's death, abandons the getaway car in the woods and seeks refuge in his grandfather's home in the country. His grandfather, Hausner, is a widower and lives a lonely life in his own terms, declining advice from several quarters to settle down in a home for elders. He is happy to have Alex in his house. He is also visited occasionally by his neighbor Susanne. While his grandfather is happy to see Susanne and even regales her by playing the accordion, Alex remains cold to her warm overtures despite her keenness to connect to him. 
Susanne is the wife of Robert and their life is haunted by the recent loss of her pregnancy as well as by her knowledge that Robert may be incapable of fathering her a child - something she desperately yearns for. She is further distraught when her proposal to adopt a child is categorically turned down by Robert. Meanwhile, Robert is consumed by the guilt of being personally responsible for Tamara's death and is gradually becoming a recluse. The overwhelming pall of sorrow consumes him from within and has a debilitating effect on his career as well as personal life resulting in his suspension from the force. Robert confides in Susanne of Tamara's death and shortly after, Alex gets to know that it was Robert who killed Tamara. Alex's life, which, following Tamara's death, appeared bereft of all purpose till then, finds a new quest in avenging her death by killing Robert.
Does Alex succeed in his quest of avenging Tamara ? Or, could Susanne's advances kindle any thaw in his cold bearings ? Does Robert find any solace ? What happens to Susanne and Robert ? The rest of the movie focuses on the intriguing intersection where these three characters who wallow in their own personal sense of grief, loss and desperately seek redemption. Does revenge provide such redemption ?
Revanche feels like a breath of fresh air in a genre that has largely subsisted on the momentum of the action and/or the mechanics of the plot. Kudos to the Austrian director Gotz Spielmann for bringing a rare sensitivity to the thriller genre by populating his story with well fleshed out characters whom we could connect to and deeply feel about without in anyway compromising on the essence of a thriller. Credits are also due to the three leads - Johannes Krisch playing Alex, Ursula Strauss playing Susanne and Andreas Lust playing Robert - who are excellent in their roles.
Revanche was much admired and awarded at several Film Festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival, 2008. It was also Austria's official submission for the Academy Awards under Best Foreign Language Film in 2009 and made it to the final shortlist.
A MUST WATCH !!
RATING - 3.5/5
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