Beau Travail (1999)

[GreenlyGreeny]

I don’t get it. Supposedly the best film about the French Foreign Legion, yet all they seemingly do is housekeeping and what appears to be pointless training? Why the heck are they there? I really don’t get why this movie is heralded by so many.

***Spoiler alert***This is one of the most unexpected and oddest endings in the history of cinema—without the context of the movie, which apparently is just a film about a lonely, repressed gay man in the French Foreign Legion, this ending is probably comical, so sharing it if you know you’re someone who would never sit through an entire French film:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rop2r0PASlM

Anyway, what are some other movies about the French Foreign Legion that you would recommend?

[gouki88]

The film is not 'about' the French Foreign Legion, it is about masculinity. Getting hung up on aspects such as "all they seemingly do is housekeeping and what appears to be pointless training" is missing the point. They are not meant to be reflective of actual military exercises - it is deriving these exercises (dances, really) from the opera by Britten in the 50s.

Denis' film-making is intentionally atypical and unconventional. The plot itself is thin. The ending is widely regarded as one of the best, especially as a continuation of Denis' overall theme of subverting expectations. But, her stuff is not for everyone.

There are a lot of old films centring around the French Foreign Legion. Newer (and much more easily viewable ones) involve a lot of Jean-Claude Van Damme, like Legionnaire & Lionheart. March or Die and Savior are others.

[Roy H.]

I don’t get it. Supposedly the best film about the French Foreign Legion, yet all they seemingly do is housekeeping and what appears to be pointless training? Why the heck are they there? I really don’t get why this movie is heralded by so many.

***Spoiler alert***This is one of the most unexpected and oddest endings in the history of cinema—without the context of the movie, which apparently is just a film about a lonely, repressed gay man in the French Foreign Legion, this ending is probably comical, so sharing it if you know you’re someone who would never sit through an entire French film:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rop2r0PASlM

Anyway, what are some other movies about the French Foreign Legion that you would recommend?

My favorite thing about that link was the Duracell ad that played at the beginning reminding us not to feed batteries to our babies.  Otherwise, I wouldn't necessarily call that "one of the most beautiful ending scenes of all time", regardless of what came before.  But, the pulsing forearm intrigued me.

[GreenlyGreeny]

I don’t get it. Supposedly the best film about the French Foreign Legion, yet all they seemingly do is housekeeping and what appears to be pointless training? Why the heck are they there? I really don’t get why this movie is heralded by so many.

***Spoiler alert***This is one of the most unexpected and oddest endings in the history of cinema—without the context of the movie, which apparently is just a film about a lonely, repressed gay man in the French Foreign Legion, this ending is probably comical, so sharing it if you know you’re someone who would never sit through an entire French film:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rop2r0PASlM

Anyway, what are some other movies about the French Foreign Legion that you would recommend?

My favorite thing about that link was the Duracell ad that played at the beginning reminding us not to feed batteries to our babies.  Otherwise, I wouldn't necessarily call that "one of the most beautiful ending scenes of all time", regardless of what came before.  But, the pulsing forearm intrigued me.

Funny.

***Spoiler alert***

I’ve since read up on the film and apparently it is quite homoerotic. I’m not gay, so to me it just seemed kind of silly and pretentious rather than sexy. Apparently it’s to a gay man what a movie full of playmates in bikinis doing pointless training exercises and housework would be to a straight man? 🤷‍♂️ and the ending apparently paints a picture of the repressed gay antagonist finally getting to be himself at long last, some interpreting it to be a post-suicide dream and others painting it as what he does after deciding against suicide (what he does in the film is absolutely reprehensible—I cannot imagine someone repressed being so angry and taking it out like that on someone who was undeniably a hero in that unit). The ending is memorable, if nothing else. People are still talking about it almost a quarter century later, so that’s quite the achievement for the writer/director.

***End spoiler alert***

Needless to say, I went into it expecting it to be about life in the French Foreign Legion. After mulling it over, I do recommend seeing this film at least once. The cinematography is extraordinary and apparently this film may awaken feelings in some, so I’d recommend it to anybody who likes serious works of drama and either understands French or does not mind reading subtitles.

I also appreciate Gouki’s recommendations for other films that try to paint the picture of life in the French Foreign Legion.