THE DIVIDE (Canada/France 2011) **1/2
Directed by Xavier Gens

With the highly successful and blood excessed FRONTIER(S), writer/director Xavier Gens gets to do a apocalyptic survival movie of the highest nastiness.

THE DIVIDE begins with the tenants of a high rise apartment building freaking out as explosions are occurring and debris is falling all over the place.  The scene is a bit overdone as one wonders if that how come there are that many people around at that time.  A few make it to the basement where the super, Mickey (Michael Beihn) happens (why is this so?) to have food and water stored for himself and others for a limited amount of time.  So, this is the story of survivors of a nuclear attack who are grouped together for days in the basement of their apartment building, where fear and dwindling supplies wear away at their dynamic.

This is not a film where goodness flows out of the character of the survivors.  It is the complete opposite!  As time progresses, each one gets nastier and nastier, though there is no real reason for this to be so – as it turns out that the rations are actually quite sufficient.  And there are apricots!
Most of the actors are relative unknowns except for Rosanna Arquette, who one wonders why she chose to play such a horrible role.  She plays Marilyn, a hysterical mother who ends up being raped to death.  Other nastiness that occurs includes the cutting off of one of Mickey’s fingers, though he screams: “Come on, there are nine left to go!” Yes, it is that kind of movie and a beasty sex segment.

Most of the actors are terribly sexy, despite how grubby they look, with hair falling out and all.  The claustrophobic atmosphere is more than effectively created.  And if all this is not enough, the last bit requires a swim through sh** through seepage to escape out into the open.  The only question is why one would want to pay good money to see all this nastiness.  But if that is ones cup of tea, then there is nothing to complain about.  In fact THE DIVIDE went on to win quite a few awards at ‘horror’ film festivals around the world.

Gens’ film drags quite a bit in a few places.  At times, the audience would be asking the question: “To rape or not to rape?” or “Kill him already!” The film lasts over two hours which is lengthy for this genre type of movie.  It is obvious that Gens has taken his fictitious horror film a bit too seriously, and it shows!