Late update: Claire Denis has canceled her appearance. The film will be screened as scheduled, free and open to the public.
Synopsis: Inspired by Herman Melville's "Billy Budd," Beau Travail is one the most provocative and accomplished films by French director Claire Denis (Chocolat, I Can't Sleep, Nenette and Boni). This simple tale of pride and rivalry is drenched with male eroticism and cast in the form of a languorous tropical dream. Set against the stunning East African enclave of Djibouti, Beau Travail follows a troupe of men in a small French Foreign Legion outpost. Exercising their muscular torsos under the blaring sun, each day the Legionnaires engage in a hypnotically choreographed routine of drills, chores, and mock battles. Sergeant Galoup (Denis Lavant) runs the troupe like a well-oiled machine, until his jealousy of a promising young recruit, Sentaine (Gregoire Colin), threatens the delicate balance of his life. With the haunting suspense of a Greek tragedy, Galoup's uncontrollable urge to destroy Sentaine ultimately leads to his own downfall.
Cast: Denis Lavant, Gregoire Colin, Michel Subor
The film is in French with English subtitles. From the series From Script to Screen: Conversations on Contemporary French Cinema, sponsored by the Research Unit in the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages.