The Wounded Man

Colour, 35 mm
France, 1983, 109 min
Section: Tribute to Patrice Chéreau

Synopsis

Patrice Chéreau leaves his hero to discover his own homosexuality in the most wretched of places – the men’s toilets at a Paris railway station. Timid 18-year-old Henri, dutifully accompanying his sister to the train with his parents, finds himself here quite by accident and, while shaken by an act of violence he witnesses, he is stunned by an unexpected kiss from the perpetrator. Thus begins his dark odyssey, since he can’t stop himself returning – to the demi-monde of homosexual prostitutes, older gentlemen walking past with hungry looks in their eyes, and lost souls vainly seeking a love that has burned out. But, primarily, he goes in search of Jean (Vittorio Mezzogiorno), a constantly elusive phantasm as repulsive for his wanton brutality and indifference as he is fascinating for his sudden tenderness. The path Henri takes in order to finally satisfy his passion leads ultimately to self-loathing and inevitable tragedy… The suggestive power of Chéreau’s film is the result of both its minimalist, ascetic screenplay (awarded a César) and its laconically precise execution, set largely against the raw backdrop of night-time Paris. Not least, the film owes much for its emotional impact to the authentic (and highly courageous) performance of the then novice Jean-Hugues Anglade in the starring role.