Martyrs: Anna’s final words?

They say: “If you want to give people a good scare, put a decent amount of blood and guts into a movie. If you want to scare them twice as much, double the blood and guts”. This simple formula has worked for years in the horror/slasher subgenre, sometimes even leading to notable results, as seen in films like “Hostel” and “Saw”. However, categorizing Pascal Laugier’s “Martyrs” (2008) alongside any other horror movie, or perceiving it as merely a horror film, would be a grave oversight. The film contains so many layers, some of which may be hard to even notice for a sensitive audience shocked by its terror, that “Martyrs” emerges as a film of its own kind.

The movie begins like a typical horror film, replete with screaming and violence. Lucie, a young girl who escapes from mysterious captivity, finds refuge in an orphanage where she meets Anna, the only person she can trust. Fifteen years later, the two women—one willingly, one reluctantly—embark on a path of bloody revenge that leads them to, as the most sensational clickbait titles might proclaim, an unimaginable series of events. These events, unfolding until the film’s conclusion, contain not just one, but two significant plot twists, forming the first layer of the extraordinary narrative fabric from which this movie is woven. The twists in question are not ordinary, predictable, or illogical turns of events. They are genuine jaw-droppers, unexpected bolts from the blue rarely found, especially in modern cinema. But, however impressive these twists may be, they serve merely as a beautiful coating for a far more complex package beneath.

Beyond suffering

What I think many people might conclude about “Martyrs” is that suffering is the primary element on the path to martyrdom. This impression could easily be drawn from Mademoiselle’s brief explanation in the film’s third act. However, I’ve always considered suffering in this context merely a means to an end. The core essence of the Martyrs lies in the concept of “endemic despair” – the realization that one’s remaining existence consists solely of unrelenting suffering. As Mademoiselle states, many individuals finding themselves in such a situation would choose to escape it, one way or another. But the true Martyrs, those who endure this state of “endemic despair” regardless of circumstances until their inevitable, bitter end, are the rare breed capable of transcending their martyrdom and acquiring the coveted secret knowledge of the afterlife.

If a compelling plot, mind-bending twists, skilled acting, and meticulously staged violence are merely the layers wrapping the essence of the movie, then, in my opinion, the concept of idiosyncratic ways of dealing with ‘endemic despair’ forms its core. One cannot miss the connection to real life and the multitude of people living in a persistent state of ‘endemic despair’. I’m referring to modern-day slaves, such as child workers in African cobalt mines or residents of Japan’s cage homes. Like Anna in “Martyrs”, these individuals deliberately choose to persist through suffering, day after day, obscuring from our view their motivation for such endurance (again, mirroring Anna). The essence of that motivation could well be the answer to the film’s final question.

What’s in the box?

In the final scene, Anna reveals her revelations to Mademoiselle, and the weight of her words convinces the cult leader to cold-bloodedly and without hesitation commit suicide by putting a gun in her mouth. For the audience, an even greater uncertainty lingers after this stormy ending: what were the words? What’s in the box?

Although Mademoiselle explicitly stated that they were searching for genuine afterlife experiences, I’ve always believed that Anna’s final whispered words were about her motivation to persist and endure. Many argue that Anna’s experience of the afterlife was so exquisite that it convinced Mademoiselle to end her existence and immediately transcend to this new divine world. Others hold a completely different opinion, stating that what Anna saw was just another endless cycle of suffering, which shattered all of Mademoiselle’s life hopes.

“Martyrs” leaves us with a profound ambiguity, challenging us to confront our own beliefs about suffering, transcendence, and the nature of existence. What was the reflection in Anna’s eyes when she transcended into martyrdom? What were her last words? I found myself asking these questions long after the movie ended. Did you?