LA TERRE ET LE SANG/ EARTH AND BLOOD

France, 2020, 80 minutes, Colour.

Sami Bouajila, Eriq Ebouaney, Samy Seghir, Sophia Lesaffre.

Directed by Julian Leclercq.

This is a brief French drama which combines social realism with police action and drug dealing.

At the centre is an older man, North African background, visiting a doctor and getting a terminal diagnosis. He owns a sawmill, is in debt, consults his sister-in-law, his concern for the future of his mute daughter and her art ambitions, deciding to sell the mill. There are realism and details in showing the mill, the workers, logging, working on the timber…

However, the film does open with four masked men doing a raid on a police station to steal the drugs there. Two are killed. One then goes to his younger, ex-con brother, stealing the drugs from the others. The young man works at the sawmill and conceals the drugs there.

While the old man meets with the potential buyer trying to organise matters, the dealers capture the brother who robbed them of the drugs, torture him and get information that the drugs are at the mill.

The rest of the film is a siege, shootouts, attempted escapes in the countryside. The old man uses all his wits and shooting skills in getting rid of many of the ruthless, multi-cultural, gangsters. He urges the young man to try to escape with his daughter.

This is a strong film for those who like action, some brutality in the deaths. But, ultimately, it is quite pessimistic in its final confrontations and deaths.

1. The blend of human drama, realism, and drug dealers and a siege?
2. The French situation, the drug dealers, race issues within the dealers, the police pursuit, the dealers betraying one another, the hiding of drugs? The contrast with Ted, terminal illness and the doctor, sister-in-law, daughter, plans, selling the mill, managing the mill, his debts? Yunis working for him? The connection with the drug situation? The musical score?
3. The harsh realism of work at the mill, going out into the forests, cutting the trees, transporting them back, the sawmill, the staff, the work, offices, Sophia, the accounts? The would-be buyer, observing, the discussions, the deal, the conditions, the price, the offer for Said to continue working?
4. The initial drug situation, the gang, masks, the raid in the police precinct, the deaths, taking the drugs, Mehdi and his wanting them, the confrontation with Yunis, his hiding the drugs at the sawmill?
5. The gang, torturing Mehdi, getting the information, writing, the confrontation, the numbers? The siege of the mill, Said and his reply, guns, shooting? Sophia and Yunis escaping, after Said locking him up, fleeing through the woods, the man pursuing? Using their wits? The house, the pursuit, the fight with Yunis, his wounds, death? Sophia and the house, the old man, sheltering her, his being killed? Ruthlessness?
6. Said using his wits, in the house, picking off the assailants, in the mill, at the back, the vehicle, the crash, in the tractor, the previous scene with it being hard to start, getting away? The crash, the burning car?
7. His finding Yunis and Sophia? His being wounded, the leader, the fights, the threat to Sophia, Said attacking him with the axe?
8. A grim crime story, and the harsh realities of making a living at the mill?