Bruno Dumont's 'France' Blends Media Satire with Spiritual Crisis

Bruno Dumont's latest film 'France', starring Léa Seydoux as a cynical TV journalist, premiered in French theaters on August 25, 2021. The 133-minute feature marks a potential evolution in Dumont's filmmaking, combining his characteristic burlesque humor with a more introspective spiritual inquiry. The film follows France De Meurs, a media star whose encounter with a pizza delivery accident triggers a crisis of conscience. Dumont continues his hybrid approach to acting, pairing Seydoux with Blanche Gardin as her assistant Lou, following his earlier work with Juliette Binoche in 'Camille Claudel 1915'. The film critiques media spectacle while exploring themes of authenticity and redemption, set against landscapes from the Côte d'Opale to the Middle East. Critics note the film's structural division and its dialectical intelligence, suggesting it may require multiple viewings. The review by Jean-Jacques Manzanera appears in artpress, drawing comparisons to Robert Bresson and Roberto Rossellini's 'Europe 51'.