L'Intrus
UW Cinematheque 821 University Ave., UW Vilas Hall, Room 4070, Madison, Wisconsin
press release: France | 2004 | 35mm | 130 min. | French with English subtitles
Director: Claire Denis; Cast: Michel Subor, Gregoire Colin, Béatrice Dalle
An aging ex-mercenary leaves the solitude of his Alpine home to procure a black-market organ transplant and pursue the son he abandoned long ago. Stylish and enigmatic, this haunting mid-career work from the director of High Life and Let the Sunshine In is pure art cinema. “This mysterious object may be Denis’ most gorgeous film (which is saying something), but more than that, it’s a fearless filmmaker's boldest experiment yet, a direct line from her unconscious to yours” (Dennis Lim, The Village Voice). “Denis is one of cinema’s greatest narrative poets, and L’Intrus, the story of an adventurer, is her most adventurous cinematic poem” (Amy Taubin, Film Comment). 35mm print courtesy the Institut Français, Paris.
In June, the Cinematheque continues its tradition of showcasing the work of modern cinema’s greatest poet of sound and image, Claire Denis. Denis, working closely with a team of trusted collaborators, makes films that take the form of reveries, crafting mood pieces that are at once deeply subjective and gloriously physical. She has called this uniquely sensuous and beguiling body of work “open cinema,” a term reflective of films that are as aesthetically entrancing as they are politically complex. This summer’s program includes the only local theatrical showing of Denis’ most recent feature, the sci-fi freakout High Life, and a 35mm print of her enigmatic adventure movie, L’intrus.
All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.