Beau travail
Encyclopedia
Beau travail is a 1999 French
movie
directed by Claire Denis
that is loosely based on Herman Melville
's novella Billy Budd. However, instead of the maritime setting of the novella, the movie takes place in Djibouti
where the protagonists are soldiers in the French Foreign Legion
. Parts of the soundtrack of the movie are from the opera
by Benjamin Britten
also based on the novella.
) remembers the time in the desert, where he led his men under the command of Bruno Forestier (Michel Subor
). His life there consisted mostly of routine duties like supervising the physical exercise of his men.
("One of the cast had actually been in the Legion, so we took all their real exercises and did them together every day, to concentrate the actors as a group," said Denis. "We never said we were going to choreograph the film. But afterwards, when we started shooting, using Britten's music, those exercises became like a dance.")
One day, his troop is joined by Gilles Sentain (Grégoire Colin
), whose physical beauty, social skills, and fortitude make Galoup envious. Repressed homosexual feelings on the part of Galoup are suggested.
When Sentain helps another soldier, violating previous orders by Galoup, Galoup sees a chance to destroy Sentain. As a punishment, he drives him out into the desert to make him walk back to the base. But Sentain does not return because Galoup has tampered with his compass
, and Sentain cannot make his way out without it.
Even though Sentain is later found and rescued by a group of Djiboutis, Galoup is sent back to France by his commander for a court martial, ending his time in the Foreign Legion. The final scene suggests his suicide
through a metaphoric dance.
of the Chicago Reader rated it a "masterpiece," giving it the paper's highest rating of four stars. Charles Taylor of Salon.com
wrote that "Beau Travail is the most extreme example of [Denis'] talent, baffling and exhilarating. I don't know when I've seen a movie that is in so many ways foreign to what draws me to movies and still felt under a spell." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone
also gave it the magazine's highest rating, calling it "unique and unforgettable" while J. Hoberman of the Village Voice wrote that the film is "so tactile in its cinematography, inventive in its camera placement, and sensuous in its editing that the purposefully oblique and languid narrative is all but eclipsed."
Review aggregator website Metacritic gave it a score of 91, which they categorized as "universal acclaim."
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Claire Denis
Claire Denis
Claire Denis is a French film director and Professor of Film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland.-Early life:...
that is loosely based on Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
's novella Billy Budd. However, instead of the maritime setting of the novella, the movie takes place in Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
where the protagonists are soldiers in the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
. Parts of the soundtrack of the movie are from the opera
Billy Budd (opera)
Billy Budd is an opera by Benjamin Britten, from a libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, was first performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 1 December 1951. It is based on the short novel Billy Budd by Herman Melville....
by Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
also based on the novella.
Plot
Back in France, master sergeant Galoup (Denis LavantDenis Lavant
Denis Lavant is a French film actor known for his distinctive face and the physically demanding aspects of the roles he plays, which often involve slapstick, acrobatics or dance, as well as for his long-standing association with director Leos Carax...
) remembers the time in the desert, where he led his men under the command of Bruno Forestier (Michel Subor
Michel Subor
Michel Subor is a French actor who gained fame playing the lover of Brigitte Bardot's character in La Bride sur le Cou .In Hollywood Subor starred in Clive Donner's What's New, Pussycat? and in Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz...
). His life there consisted mostly of routine duties like supervising the physical exercise of his men.
("One of the cast had actually been in the Legion, so we took all their real exercises and did them together every day, to concentrate the actors as a group," said Denis. "We never said we were going to choreograph the film. But afterwards, when we started shooting, using Britten's music, those exercises became like a dance.")
One day, his troop is joined by Gilles Sentain (Grégoire Colin
Grégoire Colin
Grégoire Colin is a French actor, producer, screenwriter, and director.-Career:Grégoire started acting on the French stage at age 12. He first caught the eye of critics in the 1992 Agnieszka Holland's psychological family drama Olivier, Olivier when he was just 17...
), whose physical beauty, social skills, and fortitude make Galoup envious. Repressed homosexual feelings on the part of Galoup are suggested.
When Sentain helps another soldier, violating previous orders by Galoup, Galoup sees a chance to destroy Sentain. As a punishment, he drives him out into the desert to make him walk back to the base. But Sentain does not return because Galoup has tampered with his compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
, and Sentain cannot make his way out without it.
Even though Sentain is later found and rescued by a group of Djiboutis, Galoup is sent back to France by his commander for a court martial, ending his time in the Foreign Legion. The final scene suggests his suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
through a metaphoric dance.
Reception
The film was highly acclaimed, topping the Village Voices Film Critics' Poll in 2000, with Claire Denis also placing at #2 for best director. Jonathan RosenbaumJonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum is an American film critic. Rosenbaum was the head film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987 until 2008, when he retired at the age of 65...
of the Chicago Reader rated it a "masterpiece," giving it the paper's highest rating of four stars. Charles Taylor of Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
wrote that "Beau Travail is the most extreme example of [Denis'] talent, baffling and exhilarating. I don't know when I've seen a movie that is in so many ways foreign to what draws me to movies and still felt under a spell." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
also gave it the magazine's highest rating, calling it "unique and unforgettable" while J. Hoberman of the Village Voice wrote that the film is "so tactile in its cinematography, inventive in its camera placement, and sensuous in its editing that the purposefully oblique and languid narrative is all but eclipsed."
Review aggregator website Metacritic gave it a score of 91, which they categorized as "universal acclaim."