The Empire: Star Wars by Bruno Dumont (review)
Bruno Dumont observes the conquest of a degenerated humanity by the forces of Evil. An inflated SF gesture despite too much dryness of feelings.
“ Beware of heroes and saints! », warns Beelzebub played by a hallucinated Fabrice Luchini whose devilry is all the more striking as it is based on the complete astonishment of an actor not sure of knowing what he is supposed to do. He is alone in a cathedral spaceship ready to amend primitive humanity. The area to be conquered is made up of dunes, potato fields, straight departmental roads, an infinite sea…
The North of Dumont, its territory. Contamination by extra-terrestrial forces does not seem to unduly disturb residents who know the music: the gendarmes of the Little Quinquin dropped there, saw others. The filmmaker, a perfect misanthrope, continues his crusade where the “ evil triumphs by the force of things ” since ” humans suck “. This “nullity” is perhaps due to an absence of ideal where bawdiness by covering up all mysticism makes our world vulnerable. The evil envoys (Camille Cottin, Anamaria Vartolomei…) are on a crusade in search of a chosen one to love. And the most destabilizing with this Empire is this complete nihilism which prevents this love from springing up and being shared.
Dumont’s gesture seems detached from feelings, the very ones which, through empathy, however unhealthy, made us vibrate in these previous films. The mess here is neither happy nor generous. Perverted naturalism certainly produces a disturbance but it gradually closes in on itself. Where are we? For what ? Dumont is elsewhere. Let’s follow him. Or not.
By Bruno Dumont. With Anamaria Vartolomei, Lyna Khoudri, Fabrice Luchini… Duration 1h51. Released February 21, 2024
