There's poetry in the bleakness of this film's presentation. Claire Denis ("Chocolat" 1988), bold and forward in her directions, has such clarity in delivering complex emotional struggles yet in a simple manner. The military drills of the French Legionnaires were captured like ballet disciplines; camera angles gave us quite different views of what could be a dull routine soldier's duty or exercise. Director Denis is not afraid to show the harsh reality and what may be society's disapproving actions the central character is demonstrating; yet it's not thrust at us -- it's almost by subliminal osmosis: through the low key narration of the central character, his jotting down thoughts on paper, actor Denis Lavant's sergeant Galoup's expressive expresssionless face, we are somehow pulled into his "cruel" intentions. He knows he's being "evil" -- he's so numbed by the years spent in the Legion that he cares no more -- moral or right or not -- he's going to do it, to destroy the youthfully strong new recruit whom he envied that he himself is no more. It's pathetic, yet it's not quite presented so. Different subject though it may, this is a more direct "passion of mind" layered depiction with deeper impact and meaning, vs. the Demi Moore's esoteric saccharine version of so named film "Passion of Mind". It could be slow moving for some -- definitely NFE. It's set in East Africa at Djibouti, by the coast near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with beautiful landscape shots of the desert juxtaposed with blue green sea and aqua shots. It also has occasional African musical rhythm and natives in colorful costumes. If you appreciate filmmaking, then this is worth experiencing.
Review of Beau Travail
