Review of Beau Travail (2000) by Mihalis M — 02 Mar 2009

I appreciated the beautiful images of the Djibouti coastline, the rocky wasteland, and the salt flats, as well as the choreographed exercises, drills, and ironing. The emphasis here on the importance of ritual, contrasted with the free-flowing dancing, presents interesting material with which to interact.

However, this struck me as a formal exercise lacking in feeling. While I can appreciate the craft, the film constantly kept itself at a distance--too far, in my view.