Beau Travail

MOVIE #1,105 • 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 • 08.11.23 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝙻𝙰𝙸𝚁𝙴 𝙳𝙴𝙽𝙸𝚂 (𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚑: [𝚍ə𝚗𝚒];) 𝙳𝙸𝚁𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙾𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝙲𝚄𝚂 First off, I just want to comment on titles and translating titles. I usually go with whatever the English is, but there are notable instances (with European entries) where the original language is definitely the most widely used/known. Like nobody fucking calls this movie “Good Work.” OK, moving on… I struggled with this one somewhat. It’s lyrical and lovely, but I didn’t connect it with it as much as Nénette and Boni or even US Go Home. I realize it’s a top 10 Sight and Sound best film of all-time but I’m. Just being… honest.

(Haha, just a little joke.)

This is neither here nor there but perhaps partly indicative of why I personally had some issues…


At the point in the above red asterisk in the wiki plot description there’s about nine minutes left in the movie!

Again, probably a feature not a bug and I’m wholly ready to admit that my lack of connection is due to not being in the right headspace at the time for this (and not just the over lack of Vincent Gallo jk). It’s bigger themes and connections to Melville (however loose they may be) were lost on my weary mind.

I want/need to rewatch at some point. But the final dance solo sequence makes this worth watching alone.

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CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ MOVIE #1,104 - (YOU ARE HERE) - MOVIE #1,106 ⫸

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Beau Travail (pronounced [bo tʁa.vaj], French for "good work") is a 1999 French film directed by Claire Denis that is loosely based on Herman Melville's 1888 novella Billy Budd. The story is set in Djibouti, where the protagonists are soldiers in the French Foreign Legion. Parts of the soundtrack of the movie are from Benjamin Britten's 1951 opera based on the novella. It was released on September 4, 1999.