FLANDRES (FLANDERS)
France, 2006, 91 minutes, Colour.
Adelaide Leroux, Samuel Boidin.
Directed by Bruno Dumont.
A conversation with Bruno Dumont might prove a difficult feat. His films are frequently raw and, despite the title of his most famous film, he does not portray a great deal of humanity on screen. At least, not in the humane sense. Humanity, for him, seems to be harsh and mundane. His characters seem to lack a moral basis for their lives and behave brutally.
This is especially true of Flanders (where Dumont himself grew up). Thirty minutes of introducing a limited and not particularly interesting group of young men and women from the farms of the region is hard going. It is best, however, to keep at least one eye on the screen in case anything happens.
Then the men go to an unnamed, symbolic, war, filmed in Tunisia which could stand in for Afghanistan or Iraq. The strategies, tactics and action we see make little ‘realistic’ sense. However, the French squad behave despicably: shouting and cursing brutally, shooting and bashing and, appallingly, raping. And then vengeance is wreaked on them.
The final scenes back in Flanders seem to be bereft of any hope – until some glimpses in the final moments.
1.Bruno Dumont’s films? Harsh? Stark? The humanity and lack of humanity?
2.Dumont coming from Flanders? His perspective on his own country and countryside? The people? The landscapes, the seasons, the farms, the towns? Loneliness and isolation? Relationships? Men and women in this setting?
3.The structure of the film: the Flanders settings, the transition to the war, the intercutting of war and Flanders? How effective? The musical score?
4.The first act in Flanders: the focus on Demester, alone the farm, Denis coming to see him, hurting himself? The meeting with Barbe, going for the walk, the brief sexual encounter? His being called up? His being ready to go? Denis looking after the farm, Denis married, his flirting with Barbe? Her refusal? At the hotel, the group, Barbe and her friend? Blondell and his attraction towards Barbe, being with her? Her later pregnancy? The men, locals, their all joining up? The truck arriving, the roll-call, their going off, the farewell?
5.The war sequences, filmed in Tunisia? The reality and unreality of the war? The strategies and tactics really not making any sense? The mountain landscapes, the plains, the oasis? The lack of realism? The platoon, the story of a platoon and its destruction? Seeing them together, uniforms, haircuts, the wresting match, the racist taunts? Their washing, getting ready to go? With the horses and the tanks? Going to the village, the sniper, the furious outbursts, the verbal abuse? Killing the sniper? The mines? The men getting killed and wounded? Their going into the house, finding the girl? The brutality of their taking her, the rape? Their continuing on, going up the mountain, spending the night in isolation? The man on the donkey, the brutal killing? Their being accosted by the locals, the shooting of one of the soldiers? The other two taken prisoner – and confronting the woman who was raped? The soldier who was castrated and shot? The other two being rescued by the helicopter attack? Going down the mountain, into the oasis, Blondell and his being shot, Demester abandoning him and being saved? The role of the helicopters in getting the dead and wounded, in the attacks?
6.Dumont’s attitude towards war? The locals? Their being attacked, raped? Their revenge? The film not giving any background to the war? The lack of morality in the French soldiers, no moral base? Their brutality, anger, shooting and maiming? The rape? These actions in the light of the Iraq war and the expose of Allied soldiers’ behaviour?
7.The intercutting of life in Flanders: Barbe, her pregnancy, her father’s concern, her friend? The encounter with Denis? The pregnancy, the doctor coming to see her, her going to the institution, her deranged outburst? Coming home – quieter? The friend and her support of Barbe? Denis and his not going to the war?
8.Demester’s return, the friend asking him to tell his story and his doing it? The encounter with Barbe? Her attack on him, running away? her finally returning, their being together, the sexual encounter – but his saying that he loved her?
9.The lack of humanity in the film? The characters and their lack of moral basis? The need for redemption? The glimmer of redemption at the end?
