About the Event
The Beast
Directed by Bertrand Bonello
(France, 2023, 147 min.)
Friday, October 25, 7:00 p.m.
The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely “erase” their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis (George MacKay). Set first in Belle Époque-era Paris, Louis is a British man who woos her away from a cold husband, then in early 21st Century Los Angeles, he is a disturbed American bent on delivering violent “retribution.” Will the process allow Gabrielle to fully connect with Louis in the present, or are the two doomed to repeat their previous fates? Visually audacious director Bertrand Bonello (Saint Laurent, Nocturama) fashions his most accomplished film to date: a sci-fi epic, inspired by Henry James’ turn- of-the-century novella, The Beast in the Jungle, suffused with mounting dread and a haunting sense of mystery. Punctuated by a career-defining, three-role performance by Seydoux, The Beast poignantly conveys humanity’s struggle against dissociative identity and emotionless existence. “And yet the movie feels like it’s constantly pulsating and alive during each and every scene… . The Beast doesn’t bother exploring the scientific nuts and bolts of its premise, but in a deconstructive sense, it’s as purely sci-fi as cinema gets. Each image and piece of music binds the past and future together in stirring, thought-provoking ways, turning them both into the now” — Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon
Discounted parking available in Founder’s Court lot, $6 flat fee, credit card required.
Free and open to the public.
