Sheitan (aka Satan) R2 Tartan Video Release

Sheitan aka Satan
2006 – France
Directed by Kim Chapiron

“Lord do not forgive them, for they know what they do”

I have to admit, Kim Chaprion’s debut feature, Sheitan, is not an easy film to review. It doesn’t fit squarely into any one genre and is not so easily compared to many other films out there, although this within itself is obviously a good thing. I personally like to think of it as a darkly humorous, Arthouse Horror Comedy!

The film begins on Cristmas Eve with a group of 3 friends out at “The Styxx” nightclub. Drunkenly behaving badly, and with all the social graces of what could be compared to British “chav” culture (that’s Council Housed an Vandals/Violent to the uninitiated), one of the group, Bart (Olivier Bartélémy),stupidly gets himself into a dancefloor altercation with a club bouncer, resulting in him being wine bottled over the head and thrown out into the street.

Having little option, his two somewhat comparably restrained friends, Ladj (Ladj Ly) and Thaï (Nicolas Le Phat Tan) follow him outside, with barmaid Yasmine (Leila Bekhti) and their new acquaintance Eve (Roxane Mesquida). At a loss for what to do, but led by their adolescent hormones the trio jump at the chance to spend by the night at Eve’s family countryside home.

Expectant of potential sexual coupling, the trio get into their car with the two girls and head for the countryside. The five are instead greeted by Eve’s family estate groundskeeper, Joseph (Vincent Cassel), a disturbingly over friendly man, sporting a permanent Cheshire cat grin, with filth stained teeth, a flyaway Kevin Keegan haircut and a scarily pregnant wife he keeps locked up in their quarters at the rear of the house.

From this point onwards it’s Deliverance territory, as we’re treated to some rather politically incorrect dark humour, akin to The League of Gentlemen, with Joseph trying to convince the boys to go skinny dipping with himself and his rather simple natured, yet sexually overt “niece.” Bring on the jokes about inbreeding and all manner countryside weirdness, before the film takes a rather darker twist with Joseph’s revelations about Sheitan, the Persian name for Satan.

Sheitan is a pretty entertaining ride, but it has to be said that the show is completely stolen by the ever reliable performance of Vincent Cassel, who regardless of role seems to always become the centre of the viewers attention. The role of the Joseph completely capitalises upon that and it’s Cassel who carries the film along amongst a cast of characters who seem to be pretty much intentionally unlikeable. Eagle eyed viewers may also spot the ever gorgeous Monica Bellucci as La Belle Vampiresse, shown briefly on a TV screen when the trouble making trio go for a shoplifting trip to a garage.

The rapid-fire editing and handheld camera work may not be to everyone’s taste, but in the context of most of the film are well suited, especially during the opening scenes.

Overall an entertaining little flick that I would recommend to fans of Fabrice Du Welz’s Calvaire (The Ordeal) or all Vincent Cassel fanatics.

The ever reliable Tartan Video have a great quality release of Sheitan (released as Satan), available on R2 UK release from Monday 26th March from all good retailers.

DVD features:

• Anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1
• French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• French DTS Digital Surround 5.1
• French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
• Removable English subtitles
• Short Film: Vampire starring Monica Bellucci
• The Making of Satan Featurette

Collectors may be interested to know that Amazon.co.uk have an exclusive limited edition release of 100 copies, complete with a Sheitan T-shirt.

Those in need of a R1 release will find it available as Sheitan from Tartan USA, stocked by your favourite on-line retailers.

6 / 10