BEAU TRAVAIL

Blue skies, sparkling seas and sweaty, sunkissed skin make up the sensual surface of Claire Denis’ 1999 drama Beau Travail, but underneath lurks the downward spiral of a man lost without the communal comfort of military masculinity. Narrated by ex-legionnaire Galoup (Denis Lavant), the film looks back at his time spent leading troops in Africa, and his struggle containing his connection with comrade Sentain (Grégoire Colin). Denis intersperses poetic visuals with thundering sequences of uniformly performed physical exercises, and the feverdream of a final shot — soundtracked by ‘Rhythm Of The Night’ — confirms Beau Travail as another masterpiece in her extraordinary repertoire. Finally being released on Blu-ray as part of the Criterion Collection, this is a chance for High Life fans to see the director’s earlier exploration of the impact of regiment and repressed sexuality on the male psyche.