Video Americain

Review

Second generation French New Wave auteur Claire Denis (Chocolat, Beau Travail, Friday Night) confounds with her latest, The Intruder. A quote during the title sequence may or may not shed light on the concept: “Your worst enemies are hiding inside, in the shadow, in your heart.” Louis Trebor (Michel Subor), approaching late middle-age, seeks a heart transplant for his own failing one and seeks the whereabouts of a long-lost son he had fathered with a Tahitian woman. On paper, this plot-line seems simple and straightforward enough but in the hands of Denis, it becomes a non-linear conundrum with no clear keys to unlock the meaning. Anecdotal vignettes created by editing place the narrative beyond ordinary time sequencing, replaced with visual poetry so deconstructed, all meanings are misconstrued. Taking an epic journey in dream-time with Louis, the viewer is mesmerized by the mysterious unfolding of the heart metaphor utilized throughout almost every scene. Who is the mystery persona of the title? Louis? Death? Time? Maybe all of the above. Filmed in South Korea, Geneva, France and Tahiti, the strong disjunctions in narrative wrought by the extremes in environment lend an atmosphere of disorientation as the viewer grapples with the film’s search for identity and emotion. A subtle accomplishment by one of France’s leading directors.

 -- Max Brinck