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.

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