The Beast – Film Review
by Frank L.

Original title: La bête
Director – Bertrand Bonello
Writers – Bertrand Bonello, Guillaume Bréaud, Benjamin Charbit
Stars – Léa Seydoux, George MacKay, Guslagie Malanda

The storyline is complex as it moves through three different settings; Paris in 1910, 2014 in Los Angeles and also Paris in 2044. In 2044, Artificial intelligence has become the saviour of the world and it runs everything. It has also developed a method of ‘cleaning’ the DNA of humans, giving them a calmer and more considered view of the world. As our main protagonist, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux), undergoes the procedure, she sees visions/ memories of other times and places. The film does not move chronologically and instead jumps between settings. In each period, the object of Gabrielle’s attention is Louis, played by English actor George McKay known for 1917/ Captain Fantastic. Gabrielle is dominated by a fear of losing her identity even in love.

Bonello has created a contemporary surreal world, loosely based on Henry James’ “The Beast in the Jungle” (1903). The film moves at a sedate pace and lasts just over two and a half hours. While the initial part is spoken in French with subtitles, the remainder is largely in English. The film is visually assured with an impressive style and a sense of unease.

The salon culture of Paris in 1910 is sumptuously displayed with women dressed in splendid gowns and striking headpieces while the men are attired in full evening dress. It is an insight into a well-heeled society and everything is sumptuous. Under the welter of costume, it is hard to imagine that the fervours of unqualified love can dominate.

Luxury in Los Angeles in 2014 is a very different aesthetic. Everything is pared back – a spare elegance. The rooms are without decoration and straight lines dominate. There are floor-to-ceiling windows. The exterior becomes part of the interior. It exudes a very different aesthetic from that of Paris in 1910. But again it exudes a lifestyle where money is not an issue as a Ming Vase of some considerable size is found to be dispensable.

Bonnello shows how AI can cleanse your DNA of its memories.  No human is apparently involved in the process as a steel appendage of an unseen machine extends a projecting probe into the ear of Gabrielle as she lies in a pool of black liquid. However, there are disasters of a more familiar hue taking place in her visions such as devastating floods throughout Paris and earthquakes in Los Angeles. At a less dramatic level, an errant pigeon flies destructively indoors, and a creepy clairvoyant dispenses wisdom. It all combines to make an unsettling and unsettled atmosphere.

In the three different periods in the life of Gabrielle, Seydoux dominates. It is a performance of considerable scope as the variety of personas she plays as Gabrielle alters considerably in each iteration. Her own facial quality makes her a beguiling figure to watch at all times. McKay too undergoes considerable changes of character from an immaculately dressed young gallant to a jeans-clad, loveless and unloving 30-year-old Angeleno. His character is always mysterious and it is difficult to have empathy towards him but McKay does manage to carry it off.

By any yardstick, this is an unusual film. It is visually impressive at all times. Its sheer length and its languid pace make it a demanding film, but it has an undefinable haunting quality which makes you ponder what you have seen and what Bonello is driving at. It’s a challenging film that will split opinions but will certainly be talked about.