Beau Travail

Djibouti, on the Horn of Afrika. At an outpost of the foreign legion led by commanding officer Forestier, the blazing sunlight seems to be everywhere. It is mirrored a hundred times by the rippling sea, reflected by the bodies of the soldiers whose concentrated training resembles a choreography, it forces its way through grills and the smallest of windows, leaving traces behind. The heavenly body becomes a veritable partner in crime when Adjutant Galoup (Denis Lavant) tries to put a new recruit and rival for the favor of his superior out of action. The only place to flee to is the night—which is why it makes perfect sense that the film ends with a magnificent dance scene set to the sound of Corona’s “The Rhythm of the Night”. (mg)