Have you seen L'HUMANITÉ? It's a movie I liked very much. What genre? Broadly, a sensational kinky drama, basically harsh and disconcerting. But its aesthetic allegiance is more important than its genre; those who understand little (or nothing) will call it 'arthouse'. In short now, L'HUMANITÉ is a thoroughly naturalist drama; the naturalist conception in art can be contested, but it has its truth, its meaning and its coherence. And L'HUMANITÉ is a good naturalist drama. Quiet, brutal, slow—paced, exciting and remarkably insightful and well—handled. The objections against L'HUMANITÉ are largely tautological—they don't bring anything that wasn't already known. Also, these objections aren't very interesting. The movie itself is much more interesting than the objections against it. Liking it requires, it's true, a bit of finesse. In a world dominated by Scorsese and Tarantino, L'HUMANITÉ's relative lack of success is natural. L'HUMANITÉ is genuine cinema, interesting as cinema.
Next, let's emphasize a few things about L'HUMANITÉ. Obliquely, it's a love movie, strong on the erotica element, a kind of erotica romance. Firstly, the erotica of conjugal love. Domino, the wife, has a vague notion of the conjugal fidelity; she masturbates on the beach when she feels attracted by an unknown guy, she shows Pharaon her crotch and asks him to touch her, etc.. Why the title, why L'HUMANITÉ? Because the movie intends to depict life's texture, what humanity is made of. Again, the naturalist intention.
Now further:--there is a naturalism of banality, and a naturalism of brutality and shocking images or scenes. L'HUMANITÉ belongs to the second class, but not exclusively; there are also elements of quotidian existence.
The script follows superintendent De Winter's life, his investigation into a case of murder, his family and social life, his sexual perversions (kissing passionately the desperate guys), his interest for a hot blonde broad named Domino, the sex life of this Domino .
In L'HUMANITÉ you can see the superintendent De Winter eating an apple (--an apple so green you almost know he's gonna be unable to swallow that sourness--), riding his bicycle, going out; you can see Domino pissing in the sea.
One of the first shots of the flick is a long take of a dead girl's vulva (--she's the victim whose death is investigated by superintendent De Winter--); this sets quite exactly the movie's tone. I thought the actors were well chosen—Pharaon, Joseph, the blonde Domino. They look, like their names, Flemish, Northern; Domino is beastly, instinctual, frank and much like the soil.
A principal element of this amazing drama is Pharaon De Winter's physiognomy—he looks like Bregovic's fish—expressionless—impassible, placid, or, if thou will, merely imbecile. You know the Bregovic song, from ARIZONA DREAM? There he defines the fish's physiognomy—expressionless, etc.. His words fit the superintendent De Winter as well.
There are also three pretty hot sex scenes (Domino and her husband Joseph), and two shots of Domino's crotch.
A word about the cast:--Pharaon De Winter is played by Emmanuel Schotté, Domino by Séverine Caneele, and her husband Joseph by Philippe Tullier.
Next, let's emphasize a few things about L'HUMANITÉ. Obliquely, it's a love movie, strong on the erotica element, a kind of erotica romance. Firstly, the erotica of conjugal love. Domino, the wife, has a vague notion of the conjugal fidelity; she masturbates on the beach when she feels attracted by an unknown guy, she shows Pharaon her crotch and asks him to touch her, etc.. Why the title, why L'HUMANITÉ? Because the movie intends to depict life's texture, what humanity is made of. Again, the naturalist intention.
Now further:--there is a naturalism of banality, and a naturalism of brutality and shocking images or scenes. L'HUMANITÉ belongs to the second class, but not exclusively; there are also elements of quotidian existence.
The script follows superintendent De Winter's life, his investigation into a case of murder, his family and social life, his sexual perversions (kissing passionately the desperate guys), his interest for a hot blonde broad named Domino, the sex life of this Domino .
In L'HUMANITÉ you can see the superintendent De Winter eating an apple (--an apple so green you almost know he's gonna be unable to swallow that sourness--), riding his bicycle, going out; you can see Domino pissing in the sea.
One of the first shots of the flick is a long take of a dead girl's vulva (--she's the victim whose death is investigated by superintendent De Winter--); this sets quite exactly the movie's tone. I thought the actors were well chosen—Pharaon, Joseph, the blonde Domino. They look, like their names, Flemish, Northern; Domino is beastly, instinctual, frank and much like the soil.
A principal element of this amazing drama is Pharaon De Winter's physiognomy—he looks like Bregovic's fish—expressionless—impassible, placid, or, if thou will, merely imbecile. You know the Bregovic song, from ARIZONA DREAM? There he defines the fish's physiognomy—expressionless, etc.. His words fit the superintendent De Winter as well.
There are also three pretty hot sex scenes (Domino and her husband Joseph), and two shots of Domino's crotch.
A word about the cast:--Pharaon De Winter is played by Emmanuel Schotté, Domino by Séverine Caneele, and her husband Joseph by Philippe Tullier.