#981: DUMONT, Bruno: L'Humanité (1999)

DUMONT, Bruno (France)
L'Humanité [1999]
Spine #981
Blu-ray


The transcendent second feature by Bruno Dumont probes the wonder and horror of the human condition through the story of a profoundly alienated police detective (the indelibly sad-eyed Emmanuel Schotté, winner of an upset best actor prize at Cannes for his first film performance) who, while investigating the murder of a young girl, experiences jolting, epiphanous moments of emotional and physical connection. Demonstrating Dumont's deftness with nonactors and relentlessly frank depiction of bodies and sexuality, L'humanité is at once an idiosyncratic police procedural and a provocative exploration of the tension between humankind's capacity for compassion and our base, sometimes barbarous animal instincts.

148 minutes
Color
5.1 Surround
in French
2:35:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2019
Director/Writer


Bruno Dumont was 41 when he wrote and directed L'humanité.

Other Dumont films in the Collection:

#980: La Vie De Jésus (1997)

The Film

A

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Ten-page wraparound featuring an essay by critic Nicholas Elliiott

Commentary

None

Interview

With Dumont.

Conversation

Between Dumont and critic Phillippe Rouyer from 2014.

Segment 1

From a 2000 episode of the French television program Tendances featuring actress Caneele.

Segment 2

From a 1999 French television-news program featuring Dumont.

Trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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