White Material Page #2

Synopsis: Denis revisits Africa, this time exploring a place rife with civil and racial conflict. A white French family outlawed in its home and attempting to save its coffee plantation connects with a black hero also embroiled in the tumult. All try to survive as their world rapidly crumbles around them
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Claire Denis
Production: IFC Films
  1 win & 10 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.0
Metacritic:
81
Rotten Tomatoes:
87%
NOT RATED
Year:
2009
106 min
$302,819
Website
452 Views


I should go?

Thank you!

Jos, I'm taking you home.

Jos, gather your belongings.

Jos, hurry up!

Soon it will be empty here.

- Have many kids left already?

- Yes.

Your mother wants you at home.

School's of no interest.

Why would they come?

I don't know, Jos. I really don't.

I just hired some workers.

They're in the truck.

Will you help out too?

No problem.

No problem...

With you there's never any problem.

You make it all seem easy.

Why are you here?

I came to pick up Jos.

I didn't know you'd be here.

You had to hire workers...

Everyone left, even Ange and Maurice.

There's no one.

I found the gate open.

Ange and Maurice are gone? Damn...

You don't seem upset.

I wonder if you already knew...

Lucie said you could get gas.

That's right.

I'll have some tomorrow.

Your son?

Not him, but I have a son too.

Are you the boss?

Yes, I mean...

In a way.

Nothing's mine but I'm in charge.

When it's not yours...

it's just hot air.

You scared me.

I thought I'd die last night.

Don't say that.

Tomorrow we'll put you in

Andr's room.

It's air-conditioned.

Maria...

I was born here.

That old place of yours

is my home.

It's where I feel best.

The plantation is yours.

It's all yours.

See, I didn't need it.

Did Manuel come and help?

Your Manuel? He's a good kid.

A little sluggish.

A lousy picker.

Ripe or unripe, he doesn't care.

Don't badmouth my son,

Lucie, please.

I don't mention yours.

You do the same, okay?

Mine is a different story.

Manuel, get up.

How can you spend all day in bed?

- Get up!

- Lay off!

Watch your mouth!

I don't know what to do.

You disappoint me.

School's closed anyway.

Nothing interests you.

You hang around all day.

We can't even talk.

It's like we don't exist.

No need to talk.

I'm sick of this blah-blah.

I'll send you to France.

You'll see the difference.

Move it, Manuel! Get up!

I don't know what happened.

I can't believe you're my son!

I feel like a total failure.

If I met a woman with a son like you,

I'd think...

"Lousy upbringing. Such a waste."

Okay, I'm coming.

I'll get dressed. Where's the fire?

Losing a crop is worse than a fire.

In the end.

Letting yourself go, Manuel,

is the vilest thing a boy can do.

It's loathsome.

Come on, get up!

Okay, I'm coming.

I'm coming!

Why did you scream?

I thought I saw something.

It'll be fine, my son.

You'll see.

It'll be fine.

Listen up, rascals,

wherever you are.

Listen to my words.

Fearless young rascals...

The Boxer is back.

He's in hiding.

Go find him.

Get out there and find him.

Go on, Manuel. Get dressed.

We need to crack down. He's inert.

School's out of the question now.

They're all closed, and for good.

- You know what I just saw?

- No.

Two kids with a machete

and a spear.

I'll tell Jean-Marie tonight.

Where is Jean-Marie?

Anyway, I'm sure he hasn't left.

Help me down.

Those two kids...

They were strange, threatening.

- I thought they'd...

- What?

I don't know. Attack Manuel.

I'm going.

We won't even be able

to sell the coffee now.

You're becoming defeatist.

If we harvest it,

its value will increase.

What if we all went back to France?

Why did you see the mayor?

I saw your motorbike.

He formed a militia!

I asked him for protection!

Why not tell me?

Tell me these things first!

And you can't take money

without telling me!

Yellow dog.

Manuel? Manuel!

It came from here. Follow me!

Look.

We never check here.

It's been broken for months.

There are footprints, right there.

Left by kids...

It must be young shepherds...

who wanted to...

run off with a sheep.

Armed young shepherds.

It's nothing. I hurt my foot.

Show me.

Ride on the tractor with me.

We'll get the trailer.

We'll manage. It's nothing.

Climb up.

Don't stand there, Jos.

What did you do to your hair?

He says happiness

isn't enough for me.

I have nowhere to go.

I won't give this up.

You're my son.

I can't let you drift away.

You know I won't let you go.

Manuel?

From Sylvie S., for her parents

and her sister-in-law:

"Leaving devil's lair.

Will give you my new address. "

From Franois and Vincent M.

for their sister, Elisabeth:

"We'll pry you from their dirty grip.

"Get ready. We're on our way. "

Drop the rifle.

What are you doing?

Drop it!

You're crazy!

Go away! Beat it, filthy dog!

This isn't your home.

Your father sold it!

Get lost, little sh*t!

Get lost.

You're sick!

The patriots will kill you all!

All of you!

Shut it off when it's full.

Is Manuel back?

Yes.

What are you hiding?

Let go!

You're insane!

Totally insane!

Know what this means?

Do you have any idea?

We'll all die.

Push it all to the centre.

Keep them out from the corners.

Not a good sign.

We often have power-outs.

It's why we have a generator.

This always gets stuck.

You crank this...

Don't worry, I'll manage.

There's not much gas left.

We know everyone here.

Getting gasoline won't be hard.

We've been rooted here for years.

Here we go...

They're dangerous, very dangerous,

because they're hungry.

I saw the army of child soldiers.

Notjust boys, girls as well.

They're orphans.

They saw their parents killed.

Some have walked 150 kilometres

in search of the Boxer.

Why did you lie to me? Why?

Manuel never came home.

He did something awful.

He hurt Elisabeth.

Did she say that?

What a liar!

She ran off.

She's not a liar.

He took my rifle. He's gone mad.

Shut up! I won't discuss my son

with you either!

The wires were cut!

So I'm keeping the gas

for the truck.

To leave.

Cherif will help us.

In exchange for what?

He's our friend.

Manuel?

There's everything you need.

You can...

You can cook. There are beds...

You'll be safe here.

That's for us to decide.

Here's the flashlight.

See you tomorrow.

There's the water pump.

Okay?

We have lots of old bones here.

- You won't abandon me?

- I've always tended to you.

Sign here.

And here.

And the money?

What money?

Who's paying?

Cherif's very smart, you know.

Smarter than you.

You okay, Jean-Marie? All well?

Fine.

Good to hear it.

You won't leave?

I'm too old to start all over.

I couldn't get used

to anywhere else either.

For you, it's not the same thing.

Not at all.

You don't want anyone

taking what you have.

Maybe you're right.

- I cooked some rice.

- Thank you.

Shall I turn on the generator?

We need gasoline.

I saw a relative of yours today.

Your nephew.

He needs some time.

Have you seen Manuel around?

Okay, I'm going.

Your son...

I can see he's changed.

It's hard to get through to him.

He's grown up.

It's not just that.

His mind runs all over the place.

He's become a dog.

Insane?

He's half-baked.

He's unfinished.

Half-baked...

Manuel?

You're here?

You're wounded.

What can we do?

Give me that bottle of water.

It's no longer safe here

for someone like you.

For someone like you either.

This is my son's room.

Why didn't you leave with your son?

I'm a good fighter too.

How could I show courage in France?

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Claire Denis

Claire Denis (French: [dəni]; born 21 April 1946) is a French film director and writer. Her film Beau Travail (1999) is considered a modern cinematic masterpiece and one of the greatest films in the history of cinema. Other acclaimed works include The Intruder (2004), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), and White Material (2009). Her work has dealt with themes of colonial and post-colonial West Africa, as well as issues in modern France, and continues to influence European cinematic identity. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "White Material" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Jul 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/white_material_23392>.

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