La Chute des hommes (2016)
Directed by Cheyenne Carron

Film Review

The resolutely independent filmmaker Cheyenne Carron is used to dealing with controversial but pertinent subjects that deserve far more attention than they currently receive, but in her latest film - La Chute des hommes - she takes us into highly contentious territory.  The nature of radicalisation and Jihadism, the top two buzzwords of our era, is examined in this realist drama which raises far more questions than it answers, not that Carron had intended to venture any concrete answers.  The film's masterstroke is to approach the issue from three very different points of view - that of a naive westerner (a Parisian obsessed with perfume), a Middle East intermediary (a taxi driver concerned only with his family's survival) and a committed Jihadist (a converted Frenchman).  The film cannot be faulted on its structure or sincerity but it struggles to come to grips with the complexities of its subject and feels too simplistic and Manichean to take seriously.  It's a film that, crudely made with minimal resources and running to well over two hours, outstays its welcome by some margin, but its intent is laudable enough.   Whilst it may not live up to our expectations, La Chute des hommes is an interesting piece that provokes further thought and hopefully will inspire other filmmakers to probe more deeply into the causes and consequences of radicalisation, one of the most serious concerns of our time.

Film Synopsis

The daughter of a French atheist and orthodox Russian Christian, Lucie is a young woman with a passion for perfumery.  This leads her to undertake a study trip in the Middle East, where she is looking forward to making contact with an unfamiliar civilisation.  Unluckily for Lucie, she gets into a taxi driven by Younes, who, for the love of his wife and son, is forced into handing her over to some Islamic extremists.  Whilst she is being kept a hostage, Lucie gets to know Abou, a Frenchman who converted to Isalm and is now ready to lay down his life for Islamic State...