Titane (2021)
(film 108 minutes)
Directed by: Julia Ducournau
Language: French
Rating: 7/10 | Yaser Tohidi
November 11, 2021
Titane symbolizes unusual people and the problems they face through a fantasy story led by Alexia as someone who loves cars! This peculiarity has terrible effects on her. The movie starts by a scene from her childhood. She is in a back seat of a car and her father is driving the car. She annoys her father during the drive as though she is not happy to have her father behind the wheel. This leads to a car crash and a horrible skull injury for Alexia that requires placement of a permanent titanium plate. Alexia’s love for cars grows with her and she works as sexed-up in a motor show years later. She even has sex with a car that she danced with in the motor show and becomes pregnant of it. Soon we understand that Alexia is actually a cold-blood killer of anyone who expresses love to her, and her hairpin is actually her weapon. In one incident when one of the witnesses of her crime escapes, she alters her appearance to look like a boy and claims she is, Adrien, the boy who was missing for years. Father of the missing boy, Vincent, accepts her as his boy with no hesitation. He just wants to have a son after waiting for years. Vincent, a fire captain, introduces Adrien to his team of firefighters and gradually gives more responsibility to him. Alexia now heavily pregnant cannot hide away anymore and she tries to run away but when she understands that Vincent’s life depends on her playing his son, she decides to stay. Both of them need each other. Vincent imagines that Alexia is his son Adrien, and he sticks to this idea even when he sees Alexia’s breasts. Now that the relationship between father and son is more stable, Alexia joins other firefighters in a party and dances with a firetruck like she used to do as a showgirl. Later that evening she has sex with the firetruck. As the delivery time comes closer, Alexia reveals her real name to Vincent and asks for help. Vincent helps Alexia give birth. Alexia's body gradually breaks down and cracks in the skin of her stomach reveal new metal plate. Alexia dies while Vincent holds the baby, whose spine appears to be made out of titanium. Alexia’s love for cars, and Vincent’s unconditional love to his son no matter if he has come back as a delusion, now has resulted to a newborn.
Titane keeps you enthusiastic to find Alexia’s destiny and on the way, Vincent’s. Vincent is the hero who shelters Alexia in his mini society of firefighters and later saves her child. The symbolism of the life of unusual people that started by Alexia’s love to cars continues by her crimes and her appearance alteration and later her inclusion in the mini society of firefighters and reaches till the end by the newborn with metallic spine.
