De la guerre
| On War | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Bertrand Bonello |
| Produced by | Bertrand Bonello Kristina Larsen |
| Written by | Bertrand Bonello |
| Starring |
Mathieu Amalric Asia Argento |
| Music by | Bertrand Bonello |
| Cinematography | Josée Deshaies |
| Edited by | Fabrice Rouaud |
| Distributed by | Ad Vitam Distribution |
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Release date
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Running time
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130 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $90.000 |
On War (French: De la guerre) is a 2008 French comedy-drama film directed by Bertrand Bonello and starring Mathieu Amalric, Laurent Lucas, Guillaume Depardieu, Asia Argento, Michel Piccoli and Léa Seydoux. It follows a man in the middle of an existential crisis as he gets drawn into a strange pleasure-obsessed cult. The film's title loosely refers to the treatise On War, by Carl von Clausewitz.
Bertrand (Mathieu Amalric), a film director, is conducting research for his latest film, and asks a funeral director if he can stay back at his parlour after the close of business. Bertrand cannot resist getting into a coffin, and accidentally knocks the lid down, locking himself in. When he’s released the following morning, it’s clear he’s been profoundly affected by the experience.
That night, he considers hiring his regular prostitute, but cancels after a film on TV—David Cronenberg's eXistenZ – grabs his attention. The next day—still ignoring his girlfriend, Louise—Bertrand encounters a group of policeman on the street and is momentarily confused when he’s unable to find a specific reason why they’re there.
In the evening, he returns to the funeral parlour, where a strange man, Charles (Guillaume Depardieu), breaks in with him. After asking Bertrand to describe his experience in the coffin, the man eventually takes him to a countryside mansion, the headquarters to a cult called The Kingdom.
Book I – The Nature of War
The cult’s leader, Uma (Asia Argento), a young woman who tapes her breasts and wears conservative clothing, tells Bertrand that if he wants “pleasure”, he must join them in their “war”. Although initially uncomfortable about being denied access to a phone, and unsettled by the sexual advances of a younger member, Maria (Lea Seydoux), Bertrand soon befriends a fellow member called Rachel and finds himself taking part in activities designed to bring him closer to the “pure existence” experienced by people like the Native Americans (photos of whom line the walls of the mansion).
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Wikipedia