Loin des Hommes (2014) Review

Lucas Versantvoort / April 9, 2015

If you want to talk about the enduring relevance of star power, consider the fact I only went to see Loin des Hommes to see Viggo Mortensen in action. Fortunately, the film surrounding him was pretty darn good too.

            The story takes place in the luscious, green…deserts of Algeria, specifically in 1954, during the Algerian War. (At least I can add it to the growing list of films about conflicts I had no prior knowledge of…) Daru (Viggo Mortensen) is a teacher to a small group of children. One day, his class is interrupted when he is asked to escort a prisoner, Mohamed, (Reda Kateb) to a city where he will face trial. Though he first rejects the idea, especially after he violently clashes with several of the prisoner’s pursuers, he finds it in his heart to escort him. Letting him go by himself would only result in his death and Daru would feel partially responsible. Thus begins a road trip of sorts, albeit a very dark one.

            You can pretty much predict what’ll happen (male bonding, etc.), but it doesn’t diminish the film’s impact in the slightest. If anything, their growing relationship is very believable. But the film’s true achievement is its handling of themes like codes of conduct, laws and honor. Almost every source of tension arises from people’s differing codes of conduct. Mohamed killed his nephew, because the cousin stole his grain. This would’ve meant the death of his family. Now, others feel compelled to kill Mohamed in retaliation. Mohamed, however, feels it right to turn himself in as this would ensure the cycle of revenge would end with him – otherwise his little brothers would be honor bound to avenge him again, and so on and so on. Though Daru is hesitant at first, his conscience compels him to escort Mohamed anyway, though his involvement causes several deaths. Later, Daru and Mohamed watch on as two surrendering rebels are mercilessly shot down. Daru tells the commanding officer he’s committed a war crime, to which the officer replies he was merely following orders. Following those orders is inhumane , but disobeying isn’t exactly a life- and career-enhancing option as well. The whole film deals with conflicts where people’s orders, morality, beliefs and so on inevitably end in violence. In the middle of it all, Daru wants to avoid conflict, the impossibility of which is aptly shown during an early scene where his school is attacked by Mohamed’s pursuers. Daru breaks a window, shouting how he doesn’t want to harm them moments before shooting outside to secure his own safety.

One final mentioning of Mortensen's acting can't be forgotten. His acting is, as ever, quite natural. It's also stunning how he, an American, speaks several languages here in what is basically a foreign language film, and yet it never feels unnatural; it never feels like he's showing off or something. I recently read an interview with Mortensen in which he said he just wants to be in films that he could easily watch years from now. Loin des Hommes is one he can definitely add to that ever-growing list.