Beau Travail (1999)

Directed by

Claire Denis

Genre

drama film, LGBTQ-related film

Country

France

Runtime

1h 32m

Rated

NR

Rating

7.1 of 10 from 369 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A French Foreign Legion commander stationed in Djibouti grows jealous of a new recruit who is popular with the other soldiers. His obsession leads to a tense rivalry that plays out against the stark desert landscape.

meditativesensualslow-burnvisually lushbroodingmelancholiccerebralatmosphericcontemplative

What happens

Beau Travail (pronounced [bo tʁa.vaj], French for "good job" or "nice work") is a 1999 French arthouse psychological drama film directed by Claire Denis, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Jean-Pol Fargeau as an adaptation of the novella Billy Budd by Herman Melville. Starring Denis Lavant, Michel Subor and Grégoire Colin. An almost dialogue-free movie, it follows the story of a section of French Foreign Legion soldiers training in the desert of Djibouti. Parts of the film's soundtrack are taken from Benjamin Britten's 1951 opera based on Melville's novella. It received widespread critical acclaim with special attention towards its direction, acting, cinematography, soundtrack and handling of its themes. It is considered one of the best French films and best movies directed by a female director. It is currently ranked the 7th best movie of all time by Sight and Sound. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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