Ritz Cinemas

The Story

Veteran French director Claire Denis riffs off Herman Melville’s Billy Budd in this enthralling, lyrical drama about an officer, Galoup, recalling how his idyllic army days in Djibouti were destabilized by the arrival of a handsome young recruit who attracts the attention of Galoup’s commandant.

Claire Denis brings a female director’s eye to toxic male ego and unrequited homoeroticism. An unforgettable film with an even more unforgettable end-titles sequence. Luminously photographed by Agnès Godard.

“Subtle brilliance that’s still relevant over twenty years later”

Fresh Fiction

Introduced by Angelica Waite, Film Programmer and Member of the Cinema Reborn Organising Committee

To read Adrian Martin’s superb program notes on Claire Denis and her greatest film click here.