If most movies are built like pop songs, than Claire Denis’ new film, White Material, is the strange, ambient instrumental that gets tacked onto the end of an album. It is quietly explosive; a dreamy kind of war film that trades in gun fights and set pieces for rich landscapes and acting that does more with its characters eyes than their words.
Denis has long been fascinated by Africa, and so it’s no surprise to see her returning in White Material. This time, she focuses on an unnamed country in the midst of civil war. Caught in the growing storm is Maria Vial (Isabelle Huppert), a French women living on a coffee plantation that she runs with her son, ex husband, and father in law. As the French Army pulls out of the area, Maria refuses to abandon their land before her work is done. Her ex-husband Andre (perennial Highlander Christopher Lambert) tries to reason with her that the harvest will be worthless anyway, and soon her workers are begin to flee as the oncoming violence that grows closer and closer to her home. Still, she remains steadfast in her position. She isn’t going anywhere.
Maria could easily become an annoyance of a character if left in the hands of a lesser actress, but Huppert, masterful as always, is able to play her in such a fascinating manner that we can’t help but be transfixed. We may not, and often do not, agree with her, but we are never not interested with her. When the violence does begin to strike home, making a particular impact on her sloth of a son Manuel (Nicolas Duvauchelle), Maria hardens her stance even more. Why she stays is never truly answered. When we see the landscape around her, we understand why she would love the land so much. At one point we hear how she stayed in Africa because she felt she never could have truly been courageous in France. She is stalwart despite the growing hopelessness of the situation. Her reasons do not matter as much as the consequences that come from them, and our investment in them. All of this is a testament to Huppert. Few actresses can command the screen by simply existing inside of a given frame, but Huppert is able to be this kind of driving force, pushing the film forward even at times when the rest of the film seems to sag.
This is a good thing, cause White Material does sag at times. While Denis’ style of direction lends the film a subtle but undeniable power at some points, at others this style seems to rob it of any true feeling of urgency. As an illustration of her success, the violence in the film is handled beautifully. It is not dressed up or lingered over; rather, it simply happens, and when it does it happens fast and without apology. Denis doesn’t allow her camera to stay on the an image of death any longer than it needs to, and she wisely avoids using any dramatic musical cues to give the material a theatrical aspect. White Material’s violence is quick, brutal and chaotic, often times disorienting and confusing, but ultimately it feels unabashedly real.
But much of the film is spent in a sort of dreamy pondering, flashing between past and present events and using long stretches of silence to create a mood and texture. While this is occasionally effective, it also creates the illusion that White Material is much longer than it actually is. There are moments when we simply want the characters and the film to move a bit faster, to reflect the urgency and panic that surrounds them. The film feels as though it needs to explode but simply refuses to. I cannot say that the direction Denis employs is incorrect, but it definitely won’t work for everyone in the audience.
It’s clear that Africa means a great deal to Denis. It inspires and drives her, and she has used it to produce some great art over the years. But with White Material, she has a difficult time getting the audience to feel the attachment to the land that she feels. It is in no way a bad film, just simply not a great one. Huppert is always worth watching, and parts of the film around her are truly beautiful. It ends up as a collection of images, sounds and feelings that occasionally gel together beautifully but at other times struggle to fit in with one another. It feels a lot like that instrumental. Even if you aren’t sure you’re getting what the band wants you to get out of it, you’re glad it exists.
Driven forward by Huppert’s quietly brilliant performance, White Material is an occasionally powerful drama, but may not seem focused enough for some: B
White Material is now playing at the Kendall Square Cinema and is also available On Demand. In French with English Subtitles.
