“The battle line between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.”
And what better than a sexploitation movie to portray the fine line of dichotomy?
Landmine Goes Click, a 2015 film directed by Levan Bakhia, explores the different probabilities of vengeance. The landmine is in itself a metaphor for exploding consequences of karma.
Yet, there is something oddly dissatisfying about the movie, leaving us with melancholic thoughts. What happens when you expect a catharsis, but things progressively worsen? Let us explore what happens when you step on a landmine, or rather, the possible outcomes in a quest for revenge –
Outcome 1: What Happens When You Betray Your Best Friend?
The story begins in a picturesque valley in the countryside of Georgia. We are introduced to three characters– a newly engaged couple, Daniel and Alicia, and his best friend, Chris. From the get-go, the friendship seems to be hanging from a loose thread, and within the first few minutes, we find out that Alicia is cheating on Daniel with Chris.
However, when Chris confronts Alicia about their situation when they are alone, she rejects his offer to stay with him. Moving past this, the three backpackers explore the mountains, secluded from the residential town across a few miles.
And the award for the most awkward marriage ceremony goes to–
Daniel and Alicia want to get married there; Chris officiates the wedding but stops mid-way, then officially declare them husband and wife at the campsite after Daniel confronts Chris over why he couldn’t pull through the wedding. The couple consummate their marriage while Chris sleeps in the other tent.
He wakes up to rumbling noises and founds an unidentified man going through their stuff. A fight ensues before Daniel interjects that Sergi is their friend and first responder for hiking. Even in the familiarity, there is a tense aura around them.
While clicking a group picture, Sergi suddenly notices that Chris has accidentally stepped on a landmine. Panic strikes as Sergi says he will need at least four hours to get help.
And in the least expected moment between the three friends, Daniel reveals that he knows about their cheating. But even more terrifying is that he actually planned every single detail, and it’s no accident that Chris has stepped on a landmine.
He leaves the two to figure out their way out, with a last stab of horror that Sergi is not getting any help.
Revenge Meter: 6 knives out of 10.
Here, Daniel successfully gets his revenge against Chris, who betrayed years of friendship, but the punishment does not fit the crime.
Outcome 2: What Happens To Alicia In “Landmine Goes Click?”
Alicia does not leave Chris’s side, as they both brainstorm a way. They decide to dig a hole so that Chris can jump to avoid the major repercussions of the blow. Just then, a creepy man is lurking, listening to their conversation. He introduces himself as Ilya, a local man who agrees to help them…. But he wants something in return.
The creepy horror of this man breeds a harrowing trauma for the two, as Ilya wallows in the power he holds over them. From demanding Alicia’s underwear to parading her like a dog, the following scenes play on the emotional torture of the viewer.
The borderline exploitation of a woman culminates in a brutal sexual assault as Chris watches his love suffer alone. Even though he manages to get hold of Ilya’s shotgun, he cannot muster the courage to shoot him at the risk of hurting Alicia.
And the landmine blows… not the actual one. But the revelation that the landmine was fake all along and Alicia is now bleeding out with multiple knife cuts and brutal rape. Chris cannot help but wail about Alicia’s death.
Revenge Meter: 3 knives out of 10.
Daniel’s plan had the worst ramifications for Alicia. We often wish ill on the cheaters, but this is unleashing pure evil on the helpless woman. This is not even revenge anymore; it’s an overkill.
Outcome 3: What Happens in Pursuit of Vendetta?
The story flashes forward after a few years. We are brought to a cottage-core setting where a mother and her young daughter do their chores. A knock interrupts their wholesome moment, and we see a young Amercian tourist asking for help.
They invite him in, and he further inquires about good restaurants. The mother replies there aren’t any and offers him to stay for dinner. He agrees to stay…
Elsewhere we see a man working in a similar setup. Suddenly he senses something unusual as his dog starts barking, running towards his house. He follows the dog, only to find out there is a tourist at his home, and the mother and daughter are his family. His perplexed look seems a bit of an exaggerated reaction. But we know precisely why there’s terror in his eyes.
Well, karma knocked on the door, as the man is Ilya, and the American tourist is actually Chris. And from here on, we see the pure wrath of revenge on a family. Chris choreographs the following scenes to resemble what Ilya did to Alicia.
Ilya begs him to leave his daughter, Lika, and to hurt him instead. But Chris’s out for eye-for-an-eye, and he wants him to watch his love suffer as he did. And we see yet another exploitation of a woman.
Revenge Meter: 4 knives out of 10.
The revenge seems to go according to the plan as Chris shoots Ilya in the leg. Would give 8/10 for that. But then, his decision to abuse an innocent girl completely shattered the purpose.
Outcome 4: What Happens When Revenge Subdues Karma?
In the heat of the moment, Chris pointed a gun at Lika’s head, just as Ilya put a knife on Alicia’s neck. Wrath is a sin for a reason– it makes a person do the unthinkable. As the panic mounts in the family, Chris revels in Ilya’s pain. But in the process, he accidentally pulls the trigger on the gun, blowing Lika’s brain out.
In the next frame, the realization hits him harder than the gunshot that he had murdered an innocent girl. And the movie ends.
Revenge Meter: -1 knife out of 10.
The movie compels the viewer to think— Should we be enjoying Chris’s revenge on Ilya? But the fulfillment turns into an absolute nightmare when the girl dies because of her father’s actions. We, as viewers, are left with an unresolved notion as the fine line between good and evil is erased.
What do you think of the plot of Landmine Goes Click? Do you think revenge movies harp too much on exploitation? What do you think of the protagonist’s decisions in the story?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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