Beau Travail poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Denis Lavant, Michel Subor, Gregoire Colin, Richard Courcet, Gregorie Colin ... see more see more... , Marta Tafesse Kassa

In this military drama, a military man finds his position of prominence questioned when a new recruit wins the commander's favor. Galoup (Denis Lavant) is an officer at a French Foreign Legion outpost... read more read more... in the Gulf of Dijbouti, where he enjoys a close relationship with the Commanding Officer (Michel Subor) and works with a team of fit young men who work hard all day and play hard all night. When Sentain (Gregoire Colin), a new recruit, joins the troops, Galoup believes that it upsets the delicate balance between the C.O. and the other men. Sentain is well-liked by his comrades for his good humor and selfless nature, and his virtues make him the C.O.'s new favorite. Galoup is jealous of the attention Sentain receives, and he devises a plan to discredit Sentain in the eyes of the other men and have him drummed out of the service. Galoup's plot is found out, however, and Galoup is stripped of his rank and sent home. Beau Travail was loosely based on Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville, though disco dancing did not figure quite as prominently in Melville's novella. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

78% liked it

2,486 ratings

Critics

80% liked it

30 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Claire Denis

Release Date: March 31, 2000

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: October 15, 2002

Stats: 170 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

None yet... Got one?

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (170)

  • shannylee38
    March 7, 2008
    shannylee38
    Not an easy film to watch because it often goes back and forth from past to present. But visually, the film is gorgeous. The director knows where to frame her landscapes and how to frame her actors.
    Finally, the final sequence is just memorable. It might seem completely out of t... read morehere, but there is more than it seems.
    The film is NOT straightforward in terms of narrative, but we just need to dig a little to understand deeply the soldiers.
  • HuskersNC949597
    July 11, 2011
    HuskersNC949597
    French Top Gun. Or maybe that's too simplistic. OK, it is, but I don't care, Gregoire Colin looks suspiciously like George Clooney in that picture up there.

View All Beau Travail Reviews

Critic Reviews

Chris Vognar
March 7, 2002
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

As much poem as film. It requires patience, which it rewards at every languid turn. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
January 1, 2000
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A masterpiece. Full Review

Jon Lap
September 24, 2003
Jon Lap, Apollo Guide

Rhythm in Denis' sight is pejorative routine. Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
March 13, 2002
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

An imaginative drama about the dire effects of envy, that vicious emotion that spreads pain and agony everywhere it reaches. Full Review

Ed Gonzalez
May 2, 2001
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

Beau Travail is an allegorical tale of revenge and jealousy set within a French Foreign Legion outpost in Africa. Full Review

Chuck Rudolph
March 24, 2001
Chuck Rudolph, Matinee Magazine

Winds up as a disappointment due to its languid pacing and a plastic sensibility as to what constitutes film art. In other words, it's typically French. Full Review

Janet Branagan
February 14, 2001
Janet Branagan, Apollo Guide

The problem is that this film lacks substance, talent and purpose, regardless of its language. Full Review

Maria Garcia
January 1, 2000
Maria Garcia, Film Journal International

Achieves the stature of classic tragedy. Full Review

Ian Waldron-Mantgani
January 1, 2000
Ian Waldron-Mantgani, UK Critic

The final scene feels tragic; the rest of the movie is boring.

Dennis Schwartz
January 1, 2000
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Beau Travail literally means beautiful work, and this film is all that and more. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Beau Travail : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Beau Travail. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Beau Travail to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?