FilmCriticLalitRao Most films which have depicted 'French legion' have been American productions. They have been able to given an American perspective of French military scene. After 'Fort Saganne' (1984) directed by late Alain Corneau, 'Beau Travail' is the second French film made in recent times which talks about the French legion (La Légion Etrangère), a military service wing of the French Army which was established in 1831. French legion is considered absolutely unique as it was created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces. It continues to attract numerous soldiers who are willing to show their valor during critical missions. Although this film has a regular story as well as a conventional plot, it does not easily fit into the mold of regular French films as its narrative device is completely different from other films made in France. One would not find any chatty characters willing to set tongues wagging. Despite having directed a feature film director Claire Denis has been able to give a 'documentary' type feel to her film. It helps viewers to understand the world in which the protagonists live. A good selection of nice musical tracks is this film's principal strengths. It helps viewers to get closer to one of film's important characters. Lastly, 'Beau Travail' is a good example of a fairly ambitious film which has come as close as possible to a documentary film.

Jose Cruz This film is extremely artsy, though it is not a boring film: plenty of stuff keeps happening so that you are constantly being entertained by it. It is a rather modern art-house film in that it is edited so that it flows at a much faster pace than, let's say, Bergman's films. So it is more watchable for someone who is not that into artsy films, such as me.It has a very strong ending as well. Dramatic without being melodramatic. The film also has a plot that is rather hidden and I needed to think a little about it before I understood it. There is also the fact that this film has very strong homoerotic undertones and women and gay men will like that.

ib-44 A remake of Billy Budd in the context of the French Foreign Legion is a brilliant idea. Changing the point of view to the older, envious Sr NCO is also a brilliant idea. The film is beautifully shot.However... This has to be least convincing portrayal of everyday life in the Legion ever made. Young Legionaires don't have birthday parties with their CO. And they don't spend a lot of time frolicking on the beach. It's true they do spend a lot of time ironing, doing laundry, and holes, but the rigid discipline and hyper-masculinity that the Legion is known for is nowhere to be seen. My disbelief could not be suspended.

Jason Forestein Films with traditional narratives are all right, I guess, but once in a while it becomes necessary to immerse yourself in a movie that eschews complete narrative coherence. Beau Travail, which follows a tale similar to Melville's Billy Budd, is one such movie. It's not confounding in the manner of an Eraserhead; you will not find yourself forever scratching your head, wondering what on earth the director was aiming for. Quite the opposite: It's a languid dissection of one (noticeably ugly) man's attempt to destroy a thing of beauty--Sentain. What's most interesting to me is that, in the sand of Djibouti, Sentain is not the only beautiful man, nor is he the only thing of beauty. Galoup's desire to destroy Sentain is, as a result, slightly arbitrary and therefore more resonant than it would be in another setting. What is astounding, and slightly confounding in this film, is its slightly elliptical story-telling. The scenes here do follow a chronology, but, simultaneously, layer upon one another. The moments depicted could occur at any moment in relation to any other moment. The precise connection between one scene and the next is not entirely necessary to watch the film. This is a frustrating position for some viewers, I suppose, because it demands a little more of your attention. However, the feelings conjured by this sort of narrative style are immensely pleasurable. I feel, watching this movie, as if I am floating, eyes-closed, upon the sea at night; the loss of concrete perception thrills and frightens you at the same time.Such storytelling also gives Beau Travail a hallucinatory quality that complements the equally hallucinatory visual scheme. Claire Denis is among the most impressive visual stylists working in cinema today. She has a sense of color, composition, and light that is both painterly and remarkably cinematic. Her framing and compositions are not quite epic, but they approach that feeling. All in all, Beau Travail is truly a handsome work and one that I urge adventurous movie- lovers to seek out.