4. Beau Travail
Beau Travail was the second film I watched as part of my film journal. I did not like it. Some scenes in the film made no sense. I did not understand their purpose as part of the film. The film confused me. It was very muddled. The title of the film ‘Beau Travail’ means good work. It was a low budget film. The makers had no permission from the French army. It is a French film with English subtitles. It was made in nineteen ninety nine. The film is about ex-foreign legion officer named Galoup who recalls his time as an officer leading his troops in the Africa. It was directed by Claire Denis. And the script was written by Claire Denis and Jean-Pol Fargeau.
It is based on the short novella Billy Bud which was written by Herman Melville. Billy Bud becomes Sentain. Claggert becomes Galloup. Captain which was Vere becomes Captain Bruno Forestier. The Navy becomes the French army. The year seventeen ninety seven comes the present day. The sea becomes the land. The opening of the film is random. It just starts with people dancing in a disco then it goes to people on a train then it goes to army tanks in the dessert. Sound has a strong impact as you can vividly hear the sound of a man brushing the ground and then of water moving. I think a strong message is portrayed. This message is important for the rest of the film. He says ‘freedom begins with remorse.’ He repeats this again. The use of repetition is for emphasis and effect on those four words. These four words are the basis of the entire film. Galloup is remorseful for what occurred in the Legion. Galloup shows his remorse throughout the film. For example in one scene he is on a train and he is being nostalgic about his time in the army. He says ‘I am sorry I was that man.’ The film is quite disrespectful to the Islam religion. For example the scene in the dessert when all the army men are eating except for three of the men as they are Muslims and it is Ramadan. The other men tease the Muslim men about not being able to eat food. However, the Muslim insult the other army men back by referring to the food they are eating as looking like ‘coyote food.’ I did not like this scene. Another scene I did not see the purpose of or like in this film. Is when Galloup is in a taxi and the taxi driver asks him ‘Guess how much a coloured girl costs here.’ The taxi driver makes a joke about prostitution. He has no respect for women. Prostitution is a serious problem. It is not a matter to be joked about.