Beau travail

Beau Travail
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Claire Denis
Produced by	Patrick Grandperret
Written by	Claire Denis Jean-Pol Fargeau
Starring	Denis Lavant Michel Subor
Music by	Charles Henri de Pierrefeu and Benjamin Britten
Cinematography	Agnès Godard
Edited by	Nelly Quettier
Distributed by	Pyramide Distribution
Release date	1999
Running time	90 minutes
Country	France
Language	French, Italian, Russian
Box office	$570.000

Beau Travail (pronounced: [bo tʁa.vaj], French for "good work") is a 1999 French movie directed by Claire Denis that is loosely based on Herman Melville's 1888 novella Billy Budd. The movie is set in Djibouti, where the protagonists are soldiers in the French Foreign Legion. Parts of the soundtrack of the movie are from Benjamin Britten's opera based on the novella.

The film begins with the silhouettes of soldiers being made to stand in the sun as an endurance test. It is the memory of Chief Adjutant Galoup (Denis Lavant), from his new home in Marseille, where he writes his memoirs. He remembers the heat of Djibouti, where he led his section of men under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Forestier (Michel Subor). We see numerous training scenes: assault courses; and securing of buildings. Much of the exercise has a ballet-like quality. This is set against a back-drop of traditional Djibouti life of the surrounding local people. Galoup says of Forestier:I admired him without knowing why. He retains a wristband with the word Bruno.

Galoup has a beautiful, young local girlfriend, Rahel.

Forestier envies many things in Galoup, including his clear affection from the men. However, they happily socialise together, playing chess and snooker.

One day, his section is joined by Gilles Sentain (Grégoire Colin), whose physical beauty, social skills, and fortitude make Galoup envious. Repressed homosexual feelings from Galoup are suggested.