Le Clan is a film about men and their complex, often difficult, relationships with each other. The title refers to a tight-knit family of three brothers - Marc (Nicholas Cazale), Christophe (Stephane Rideau) and Olivier (Thomas Dumerchez) – who have all been scarred by the death of their mother and are raging against their distant, cold father.

The picture postcard setting of the story in a lakeside Alpine village belies an ugly underbelly of drugs, violence and acute boredom.

The film is split into three distinct sections, each dedicated to one of the brothers. First up is Marc, 22, beautiful and extremely angry. His involvement with local drug dealers soon leaves him out of his depth and with a severe beating as well as a grisly end for his beloved dog.

The second segment focuses on Christophe, back from prison after serving time for an unnamed crime. He returns a changed man, determined to leave his rebellious past behind. As Marc’s desire for revenge spirals out of control, Christophe steadfastly refuses to get involved, with tragic consequences.

Finally we see the story of Olivier, the quiet younger sibling. He prays nightly to a photograph of his beloved mother and, although he looks up to his elder brothers, he lacks their aggressive bravado. This section develops into a love story as Olivier’s affection for the local Arab boy, Hicham, evolves into a steamy affair.

Despite its wide horizons and clear blue-mountain skies, Le Clan is a claustrophobic film. The three brothers are trapped by poverty, a lack of opportunity and only the love that they have for one another to keep them from descending into a mire of desperation and despair.

Director Gael Morel delights in the sexiness of his subjects and provides us with plenty of lingering shots of their taut muscular bodies. Strangely for such an erotic film there is little actual sex, with no more than a quick fuck between Marc and a reluctant transvestite, and later a passionate clinch between Olivier and Hicham.

Instead, the sex is suggested in scenes of male bonding in a sweaty gym, semi-naked horseplay in the lake, or the energetic - but strictly non contact - dance of caipoera between the young lovers.

Women don’t get much of a look in - a nagging mother is shouted down by a group of aggressive lads in the opening scene, and we are introduced briefly to Christophe’s girlfriend in the closing minutes. The only other female presence is the all-pervading memory of their mother, her untimely death a source of guilt and bitterness for the surviving relatives.

As the dysfunctional family pulls together after violent tragedy, it is the gay Olivier who emerges as the maternal figure, looking after his brother who can no longer care for himself.

The conclusion of the film is both frustrating and touching in equal measure. There may be no Hollywood happy ending here, but what could have been a dark tale is lifted by the strong performances, particularly from Cazale and Dumerchez.

Morel is already known for his acting credits, including the starring role in Andre Techine’s Wild Reeds, and with Le Clan representing his third outing as a director it is clear that he is a young talent with an exciting future ahead of him.

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Le Clan [2004]
Studio: Peccadillo Pictures
Released: 30 January 2012
ASIN: B005XJCIAI

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