Beau Travail15

Directed by Claire Denis | France | 1999 | 1h 33m | French w/ English subtitles | Starring Denis Lavant, Michel Subor, Grégoire Colin, Richard Courcet, Nicolas Duvauchelle

Amid the deep blue waters and sunbaked deserts of Djibouti, a French Foreign Legion sergeant begins a path to self-destruction, driven by his obsession with a captivating young recruit. Masculine codes of honour, the lasting impact of colonialism, and repressed desire blend in acclaimed filmmaker Claire Denis’s (High Life, Trouble Every Day) hypnotically sensual adaptation of Herman Melville’s ‘Billy Budd, Sailor’.

Voted the 7th Greatest Film of All Time in the BFI’s recent Sight And Sound poll of 2023.

1999 Classics Season

Reviews

‘A film that has the sweep and esthetic power of a full-length ballet.’
Stephen Holden, The New York Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Beau Travail between December 1, 2024 and December 3, 2024.

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Today (Tuesday 25th August)
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17:45

David Byrne's American Utopia 12A
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1h 46m
David Byrne, former Talking Heads frontman, reflects on human connection in this concert film based on his Broadway show. Directed by Spike Lee, it blends music and dance into immersive cinema, featuring solo work and Talking Heads classics.

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20:15

Love Me Tender 15
£6 for Members
2h 14m | French w/ English subtitles
After her divorce, writer Clémence begins dating women, exploring her sexuality for the first time. When her ex-husband finds out, he cuts off access to their son, sparking a custody battle. Adapted from Constance Debré's novel, starring Vicky Krieps.

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Tomorrow (Wednesday 26th August)
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14:00

The Odyssey 15
2h 52m
Odysseus, King of Ithaca, journeys home after the Trojan War, confronting vengeful gods and monstrous trials along the way. Christopher Nolan adapts Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

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17:30

Love Me Tender 15
2h 14m | French w/ English subtitles
After her divorce, writer Clémence begins dating women, exploring her sexuality for the first time. When her ex-husband finds out, he cuts off access to their son, sparking a custody battle. Adapted from Constance Debré's novel, starring Vicky Krieps.

Book here

Find out more

20:30

David Byrne's American Utopia 12A
1h 46m
David Byrne, former Talking Heads frontman, reflects on human connection in this concert film based on his Broadway show. Directed by Spike Lee, it blends music and dance into immersive cinema, featuring solo work and Talking Heads classics.

Book here


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Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

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