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

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

Denis' film is as fluid as her nine others, demonstrating her skill at integrating story strands with her handsome visual sense and gift for evocation.

Everything has been stripped away except for the coded elements. It’s a film of gestures and glances, things suggested but unsaid. It’s a fascinating and original way to tell a story.