Nominally inspired by Herman Melville's Billy Budd, the latest film from Claire Denis (Chocolat) pits a seasoned French Legionnaire, Sergeant Galoup (Denis Lavant), against a new recruit, Sentain (Gregoire Colin, the oily seducer in The Dreamlife of Angels), whose popularity in the troupe threatens to upset Galoup's hold over his men. Although gorgeously shot in scenic East African environs, Beau Travail features an abundance of scenes devoted to soldiers in drill practice, exercise, et cetera, that seem needlessly repetitive, while the voiceover from Galoup as he relates the story of his self-inflicted downfall occasionally drones. Still, this alternately hypnotic and narcotizing film is much-lauded and certainly merits consideration as a strong optional purchase. (T. Rich)
Beau Travail
New Yorker, 90 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, VHS: $69.95, DVD: $29.95, Oct. 15 Volume 17, Issue 6
Beau Travail
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