Lejos de los hombres

There is something eerily enigmatic in seeing a lone teacher in a one-room school in the middle of nowhere. It was used to great effect in Ted Kotcheff's re-discovered 1971 Australian classic Wake in Fright and director David Oelhoffen conjures similar ambiance in his ultimately gripping Algerian-based drama Far From Men.

Set in 1950s Algeria against a backdrop of growing civil unrest to French colonial rule, Daru (Viggo Mortensen), is an apparently unassuming French teacher in a remote and barren outpost, educating young Arab children on matters French with no apparent nod to their own heritage. His isolated retreat is broken by the manacled arrival of Mohamed (Reda Kateb) on a charge of the murder of his cousin. He is ordered to take the prisoner to the nearest French administrative centre where he knows full well that after a perfunctory trial, the Arab will be found guilty and executed. More than reluctant to undertake this task, which he clearly views as accessory to a killing, events take a dramatic turn leaving the diffident teacher with no moral alternative but to Do as instructed. The film then follows their journey as they head out over rocky, mountainous terrain.

Oelhoffen and cinematographer Guillaume Deffontaines take full advantage of the Algerian desert landscape, frequently showing the two men pitted against its magnitude and harsh, extreme conditions. It is exceedingly well shot, drawing the audience in with its captivating imagery. Music from Australians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis was unobtrusive.

Initially slow-burning, the film bursts into energy with gripping drama, twists and turns. As the back stories unfold, the surprising resilience and phlegm shown by the quiet teacher is understood. The conclusion was unexpectedly poignant.

The concept and themes of two diverse men on a road journey pitted against elements and events far bigger than them are not unfamiliar. But the injection of unexpected plot devices and character development keep the film fresh and the audience engaged. Performances from both Mortensen and Kateb are strong and the two actors gel together well.

Brilliant performances by Mortensen and Betak, who play two men and show their story in a war torn 1950s Algiere. The film has a progressive build of relationship between the two characters which is fantastic. They evolve deeply and create definite emotion throughout film; a fantastic effort with character development. Definititely one of Mortensen's best performances. If a film is better than just good I will usually give it a 7.5-8. This french slow paced drama scrapes itself a 9. It exceeded my expectations. It accomplished conveying the story very well. An original score from Nick Cave as well, which perhaps has a slight hint of a downfall. So far one of the two best European films of the year.

This is a story about a fraternity that goes beyond cleavages and prejudices. A quiet and brave rebellion against nonsense of violence. Charlie, Niger... That's so cruelly acute to current events. No doubt this story, that takes place in Algeria in 1954, could have been transposed in 2015 or later.

The film is beautiful, it takes its time without being never boring. Action and contemplation are wonderfully balanced.

The relationship between two men, both excluded from their communities, "étrangers" (foreigners) in more than a way, is moving. Each of us is an Arab or a paria for someone else.

Reda Kateb, Viggo Mortensen and the Atlas are glowing, simply fascinating.

Daru (Viggo Mortensen)is a second-generation Spanish-Algerian, teaching Arab children in a remote school during Algeria's struggle for independence. He is viewed as a Frenchman by the Arabs, and as an Arab by the French. He gets saddled with the task of taking Mohamed (Reda Kateb), a common, that is non-political, criminal to the authorities in Tinguit. The pair encounter Algerian freedom fighters, French soldiers, Arab tribesmen, stunning landscapes and more along the way. At each turn, Daru's values, culture, position and assumptions are thrown into question, and his bond with Mohamed deepens. Yet at all points this remains a movie with a compelling storyline and beautiful cinematography. There is never a hint of heavy-handed social commentary or political soap-boxing. As a thriller/adventure, or character drama, it would be excellent. But through Daru and Mohamed's developing relationship, the social and political fabric of Algeria is explored at the same time, with exquisite but down-to-earth sensitivity, from the points of view of two ordinary, honest, and in their different ways fundamentally good men.

"Far From Men" is a very nice film based on Albert Camus' 1957 short story "The Guest." The movie excellently captures the conflicts inherent in colonial Algeria. It is well worth watching.

The story is set in 1954, just as the Algerian independence struggle is beginning. The two main characters are a well-meaning teacher, an Algerian of European descent for whom French Algeria is his native land (played by Viggo Mortensen), and an Arab Algerian living in a traditional tribal society (played by Reda Ketab). The Arab has murdered a cousin for theft. The teacher, contrary to his wishes, is tasked to escort the Arab to the police. Their tale plays out among colonialist French Algerian vigilantes, a band of FLN fighters, a troop of French soldiers, and some Algerian European colonial civilians.

The film happens against the background of the nascent independence struggle. It shows people's moral conflicts and critical, often life and death, decisions. It nicely depicts how colonialism affects everyone living in Algeria, even those who would prefer not to take sides.

The cinematography superbly captures the incredible harsh beauty of the arid, barren Atlas mountain landscape as well as the appalling living conditions of the Arab Algerians. Seeing this film, I felt that I really was in impoverished rural colonial Algeria.

Two important points worth noting for those familiar with "The Guest": (1) While most of the events and secondary characters in the movie are spot on depictions of the 1954 Algerian context, they are not in Camus' original story, and (2) The film's ending differs from that of Camus' short story.

Still, again, I recommend this film.