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.

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.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Today (Wednesday 12th August)

17:45

The Invite 15
1h 47m
Joe and Angela's shaky marriage faces its biggest test yet when dinner with their enigmatic upstairs neighbours takes a wild turn. Rashida Jones's razor-sharp script and Olivia Wilde's direction fuel this riotous relationship comedy, with Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton on scene-stealing form.

Book here

20:15

Shall We Dance? PG
2h 17m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Successful but restless accountant Shohei Sugiyama spots a wistful woman through a train window and follows her into the world of competitive ballroom dancing. Masayuki Suo's beloved 1996 romantic comedy returns to the big screen, freshly restored in 4K, sequins and fox-trots intact.

Book here


Tomorrow (Thursday 13th August)

14:30

The Invite 15
1h 47m
Joe and Angela's shaky marriage faces its biggest test yet when dinner with their enigmatic upstairs neighbours takes a wild turn. Rashida Jones's razor-sharp script and Olivia Wilde's direction fuel this riotous relationship comedy, with Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton on scene-stealing form.

Book here

17:00

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.

Book here

20:30

Blackbird 15
1h 28m
Oxford Bad Film Club are proud to present Michael Flatley’s Blackbird. In his legendary 2018 vanity project, Michael Flatley plays a retired spy who wears many hats but must face up to his past when confronted by an old flame.

Book here


Plan your visit

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!