Cauchemar Blanc
Encyclopedia
Cauchemar Blanc is a 1991 short film by Matthieu Kassovitz, based on the comic written for the screen by Moebius
.
,J.P., Berthon, Barjout, and Rene set out to assault
a local Arab
man. The four follow the man to a vacant parking lot
outside of an apartment building, but the car
they are in suddenly starts smoking, causing them to crash into a phone booth. Barjout is knocked unconscious
, but the others are unharmed. As the remaining three are about to attack the quite fearless (albeit defenseless) Arab, a woman in the building threatens to call the police
. Impersonating a police-officer, J.P. heads into the building in an attempt to assuage the situaution. When an Afro-French
denizen accuses J.P. of lying, he becomes angered and begins insulting him, only to discover that the black
man is a police commissioner
. Meanwhile, Berthon and Rene are keeping watch of the Arab. When Rene begins showing off his "skills" with nunchucks, one of the sticks detaches and hits Berthon in the head, knocking him out cold. As Rene tries to resuscitate Berthon, Barjout regains consciousness and decides to investigate what has happened. Upon seeing an apprehended J.P., Barjout threatens the black man at gunpoint. When J.P. tries to tell him that he is a commissioner, Barjout accidentally opens fire and kills J.P. Suddenly, he begins hearing the disembodied voices of Berthon and J.P., and now the Arab is speaking in Rene's voice. Barjout awakens, realizing the events were nothing more than a nightmare
he had while waiting in the car. The film ends with the four men beating and presumably killing the helpless Arab man.
Jean Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
.
Plot
One winter's night in France, four racistsRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
,J.P., Berthon, Barjout, and Rene set out to assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
a local Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
man. The four follow the man to a vacant parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
outside of an apartment building, but the car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
they are in suddenly starts smoking, causing them to crash into a phone booth. Barjout is knocked unconscious
Unconscious
Unconscious might refer to:In physiology:* unconsciousness, the lack of consciousness or responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuliIn psychology:...
, but the others are unharmed. As the remaining three are about to attack the quite fearless (albeit defenseless) Arab, a woman in the building threatens to call the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. Impersonating a police-officer, J.P. heads into the building in an attempt to assuage the situaution. When an Afro-French
Afro-French
Black people in France are French citizens or residents who are of Black African or Caribbean ancestry.-Population statistics:Although it is illegal for the French state to collect data on ethnicity and race, a law with its origins in the 1789 revolution and reaffirmed in the constitution of 1958,...
denizen accuses J.P. of lying, he becomes angered and begins insulting him, only to discover that the black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
man is a police commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
. Meanwhile, Berthon and Rene are keeping watch of the Arab. When Rene begins showing off his "skills" with nunchucks, one of the sticks detaches and hits Berthon in the head, knocking him out cold. As Rene tries to resuscitate Berthon, Barjout regains consciousness and decides to investigate what has happened. Upon seeing an apprehended J.P., Barjout threatens the black man at gunpoint. When J.P. tries to tell him that he is a commissioner, Barjout accidentally opens fire and kills J.P. Suddenly, he begins hearing the disembodied voices of Berthon and J.P., and now the Arab is speaking in Rene's voice. Barjout awakens, realizing the events were nothing more than a nightmare
Nightmare
A nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror...
he had while waiting in the car. The film ends with the four men beating and presumably killing the helpless Arab man.