Customer Reviews

Three Dancing Slaves

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Gaël Morel (Wild Reeds, Under Another Sky, Full Speed) seems to continue to test cinematic minefields and while not every film is a success, they each indicate that there is a reservoir of talent in this writer/actor/director that will eventually galvanize into to a significant voice. This much maligned little tale 'Le Clan' (oddly but in the end appropriately titled in English 'Three Dancing Slaves') has more going for it than most audiences acknowledge: for all its weakness there are some very sensitive moments about father/son relationships, filial love, romantic love, racism, bigotry, and the ever-growing dysfunctional family problem.

Three brothers live with their recently widowed father in a small town near the Alps in France. Marc (Nicolas Cazalé) is a rebellious youth, into drugs and petty crime and at constant contention with his overbearing father (Bruno Lochet); Christophe (Stéphane Rideau) is recently released from prison and is trying to live straight by starting from the bottom in a pork factory and working his way to the top; Olivier (Thomas Dumerchez) is the youngest and though tattooed and quasi-rebellious is the sensitive one whose gender issues are just beginning to focus. The film is told in three versions, one by each brother, and from these segments we paste together a family disrupted and needy. Marc fights and performs dangerous deeds, Christophe struggles to re-create his broken life, and Olivier finds love and passion with Hicham (Salim Kechiouche), Marc's friend, who is North African and repeatedly dances the capoeira, a slave dance, for his own expression and his need to connect with Olivier. Despite the differences in these young men there are repeated encounters that signify their bonding. One quiet scene shows the father awake, sitting and watching the troubled sons asleep, naked, entwined in each other's bodies: it should be clipped for a still shot as it is very beautiful.

There really is little resolution of an overall story; these three short stories simply end in their own fashion and the interlocking meaning is left to the viewer. Each brother is a 'slave' in his own manner. Yes, there are moments of violence, a pitiful animal abuse scene, and gaps in dialogue that bump the film around in a clumsy fashion, but look for the little moments of visual beauty and the movie takes on different meaning. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp, January 06

This movie exhibited wonderful filmography, surprisingly convincing performances and gorgeous young men. Where this film was lacking tremendously was the plot. Even though it had so much potential, it's execution was haphazard, and too much time was spent on unnecessary scenes, so toward the end it felt rushed, and the relationship between Olivier (Thomas Dumerchez) and Hicham (Salim Kechiouche) if it were developed more deeply, would have made for a wonderful film. Finally, the ending left me lacking as if it would continue next week. In other words, the entire film felt like an episode in a larger series. It felt unresolved; unfinished. And the extended Soliloquy, conveyed in the form of letters written to Christophe (I believe) certainly did not make up for a proper ending. That really frustrated me.

This movie was not only thought provoking and visually stunning at times, but brought me back to my boarding school days. (I went to an all boys boarding school.) Some people call what young "boys" do together homo erotic, I just call it what it is, young boys being boys. That element pays itself out in this film. I found that refreshing and stimulating to watch.

I agree 100% with the editorial review written by Amazon. The film is beautifully crafted, compelling story line about family dynamics involving the three brothers-all Arabs. Also, the film is culturally sensitive, superbly acted, and lushly photographed.
In my opinion, this isn't a gay film. Granted there are some homoerotic events; however, they are all integral to the story line. Plus this is French cinema at its best.

This is a beautifully made film. The acting and production values are superb. I think the reason that some reviewers have difficulty with this film is just that it's a very simple film...It's about three young men dealing with the loss of their mother, and a father who has lost his wife. Each brother finds his own way to deal with his loss; one through drug abuse and self injury, one becomes his father, and another discovers his courage and learns how to love. Morel allows the characters to breathe, and respects us enough to expect us to pay attention to visual clues which are equally important as spoken dialog, without spelling out all the details. Morel is masterful at depicting the emotional tone between individuals and groups. For instance, the scene in which Christophe has just come home from prison is extremely complex. There's a great deal of homo-erotic nuance between the brothers and their friends in this scene. While Morel creates a space for it, and fully inhabits it, he never feels a need to make a point of it, to make a statement. There's simply no need for that. It's not that they are gay or straight, but precisely that the lines between gay and straight are rather fuzzy between these good friends. Putting that message into words would create a self conscious tone in the film which would destroy the dense fabric of emotional ambiguity between the brothers. It may be that the brothers emotional problems have to do with the intensity of their feelings for each other, as well. In the end, each takes his own path. The plot is entirely subservient to the emotional issues of the characters. If you're looking for a plot driven movie, this film has a plot, but the issues that drive the plot are almost entirely internal. This is a film not primarily about events, but how people respond to events and the ways in which their responses change their lives. Viewed from that perspective, this is a unique and powerful film.

"Three Dancing Slaves," staring Nicoilas Cazalé, Stéphane Rideau, and Thomas Dumerchez, was co-written and directed by Gaël Morel. Three good-looking motherless Algerian boys face adulthood in the French Alps, trying to escape the tyranny of their father. This is an extremely powerful, erotic, disturbing film, beautifully photographed. There is only one woman, at the very end, but it is not particularly gay, although homoerotic. However the youngest son does have a male lover. The characters are clearly drawn, as they pull, both apart and together. This story is told as much with the camera as it is with the script. In French, with extremely clear English subtitles for the sparce dialogue.

This movie was just another version of TLA's way of luring in gay people with a sexual cover to another droll movie, but this time it really made no sense!! The plot, if there was one, was very hard to comprehend. Three brothers each trapped in their own vices, but you never get to fully explore any of their lives to realate or sympathize for them. A miss for me!!

Well crafted and directed film. Gritty, tense and realistic.
very well acted. Well paced.

Gael Morel creates an interesting & unusual tale about three brothers, "Le Clan." Stephane Rideau from "Come Undone" plays Christophe, apparently the older brother who is in jail when their mother passes. Olivier is the younger timid brother played by Thomas Dumerchez. He begins a romance with Hicham played by Salim Kechiouche who teaches him an athletic slave dance. The film hinges on Marc played by Nicolas Cazale. Cazale's shaved head gives him a stark look throughout the film. He won a Best Actor award for "Le Grand Voyage" in 2005 from the Newport International Film Festival. He plays Marc well, a young man whose anger is barely controlled. When drug dealers make him kill his beloved dog, Marc swears revenge, injuring himself when unable to go through with a planned hit & run. Bruno Lochet plays the father who is emotionally lost after his wife's death, unable to give his sons the strong hand they need. Morel toys with the audience, particularly in a sensual bath between Marc & his dog and with the three brothers sleeping arm in arm in nature's birthday suits as their father stares at them. Their lives splinter as Christophe gets promoted at a meat packing plant and plans to marry. Marc tries to recover from his severe injury. Olivier breaks up with his boyfriend and appears to court the hand gliding instructor. There is no great climax at which someone wins & loses. Rather we have four men dealing with a tremendous burden of grief, each trying to find reason and a way to live. Enjoy!

This is the second movie from director Gael Morel I have watched recently. The first one being "Full Speed." I rated "Full Speed" poorly. By watching this second movie, I understand why. I feel this director is very unorthodox in his expression of gay issues, and by being not familiar with his style of directing, am missing the point of what is being presented.

His stories are about a bunch of people, mostly men, in a particular point of their lives. There is no main gay theme. These people could be gay or straight. There is violence in one or two of the characters. He is very much appreciative of the human male form, as all of his actors are very athletic, good looking, perfect bodies (no nerds.) He also makes an emphasis on Arab men, particularly from Algeria, North Africa.

This movie revolves around three brothers, Marc, Christophe, and Olivier (the youngest.) Their mother had died painfully and all the boys missed her terribly. Christophe is in jail. He comes out of jail toward the middle of the movie and joins the family (he is straight.) There is one more boy, Hicham, an Arab young boy who is gay and friend of Marc. This boy becomes romantically involved with Olivier. Olivier being the only gay som in the family (he loose his virginity to Hicham without any of the other brothers knowing.) I am not sure what Marc is.

Marc gets into trouble with the local thugs (drug dealers) because he owes them money. He gets beaten by them and he is forced to throw his prize dog over a cliff to the town river. I almost turn the movie off as I am an animal lover (I don't think there was any cruelty to the animal, it is just part of the story.) Marc wants revenge and to kill the thug who hurt him and kill his dog. He wants his brother Christophe to help him but he refuses. He then becomes bitter towards his brother. Toward the end of the movie, Marc gets hurt seriously by attempting to run over his nemesis, he misses his target totally, hitting a tree in the process. His anger got the best of him.

Christophe gets a job in town after his release from jail and he gets promoted right way, and he finds a girl who is going to marry him, and his life seems to be progressing nicely. Hicham dumps Olivier (I do not know why) after using him. Hicham is a dancer and teaches Oliver the art. Olivier becomes real good (competitive). Marc becomes paralyzed but makes a struggling recovery. The final scene shows Olivier going into a building with a hand gliding instructor. Hicham has taught him to hand glide.

Even though I found this movie to be better than "Full Speed", the plot was again somewhat confusing. These are not your ordinary "gay" movies. The scene of the three brothers, in an interlocking position, sleeping naked, is very provocative and erotic, talking about brotherly love (the father was totally mesmerized watching.)

The movie near the French Alps making the scenery rather beautiful.