Despite its title, Beauty, the second feature of the openly gay South African director Oliver Hermanus, is anything but.
World premiering in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2011 Cannes Film Fest, the film was later selected as the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar, but did not make the final shortlist. (Beauty was awarded the Queer Palm Award at Cannes Fest).
François van Heerden (Deon Lotz), a white mid-age man lives in Bloemfonte, with his wife and two grown daughters. He runs his own timber business and leads a seemingly comfortable life. Though racist and homophobic, Francois engages in secret sexual encounters with other white closeted men.
At his daughter’s wedding reception, he encounters Christian Roodt (Charlie Keegan), a young handsome guy wh’s son of family friends in Cape Town.
Infatuated with Christian, Francois tries to learn everything about his object of desire. We learn that, while studying law at university, Chritian has a budding side career appearing in TV commercials.
Things get worse, and more complocated, when François’ daughter Anika starts dating Christian, turning her father into an incorrigibly jealous man, contriving all kinds of ways to punish her.
A visit to his doctor suggests that François is suffering from psychological problems that are affecting his health, and atre partly related to struggle with his sexuality.
During a trip to Cape Town, François gets drunk in a gay bar, and asks Christian to come and get him. François is thrilled at the chance to be alone with him, and invites him back to his hotel room.
Suspecting that Christian may not be interested in him but only in his money for a new business, François attempts to kiss him but is gently rebuffed. François then erupts into a violent rage and rapes Christian.
François continues with his ordinary life as usual, seemingly unrepentant. One day, he observes in a park two guys laughing and kissing, which emphasizes his state of lonely distress.
Deon Lotz’ powerful performance elevates this study of obsession and anger, while living a double life, to the realm of a tragic melodrama, in which appearances matter more than reality.
Thoigh setting his tae in a particular milieu and time, it’s fair to speculate that Harmanus intends this story as a broader social critique of the white middle class in South Africa, whse members would do anything to maintian their comfy bourgeois lifestyle, even if it calls for crime, duplicity, double life, and discrimnation,
Cast
Deon Lotz as François van Heerden
Roeline Daneel as Anika van Heerden
Sue Diepeveen as Marika Roodt
Charlie Keegan as Christian Roodt
Albert Maritz as Willem Roodt
Michelle Scott as Elena van Heerden
Beauty (2011): Oliver Hermanus’ Tale of Repressed Sexuality
Despite its title, Beauty, the second feature of the openly gay South African director Oliver Hermanus, is anything but.
World premiering in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2011 Cannes Film Fest, the film was later selected as the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar, but did not make the final shortlist. (Beauty was awarded the Queer Palm Award at Cannes Fest).
François van Heerden (Deon Lotz), a white mid-age man lives in Bloemfonte, with his wife and two grown daughters. He runs his own timber business and leads a seemingly comfortable life. Though racist and homophobic, Francois engages in secret sexual encounters with other white closeted men.
At his daughter’s wedding reception, he encounters Christian Roodt (Charlie Keegan), a young handsome guy wh’s son of family friends in Cape Town.
Infatuated with Christian, Francois tries to learn everything about his object of desire. We learn that, while studying law at university, Chritian has a budding side career appearing in TV commercials.
Things get worse, and more complocated, when François’ daughter Anika starts dating Christian, turning her father into an incorrigibly jealous man, contriving all kinds of ways to punish her.
A visit to his doctor suggests that François is suffering from psychological problems that are affecting his health, and atre partly related to struggle with his sexuality.
During a trip to Cape Town, François gets drunk in a gay bar, and asks Christian to come and get him. François is thrilled at the chance to be alone with him, and invites him back to his hotel room.
Suspecting that Christian may not be interested in him but only in his money for a new business, François attempts to kiss him but is gently rebuffed. François then erupts into a violent rage and rapes Christian.
François continues with his ordinary life as usual, seemingly unrepentant. One day, he observes in a park two guys laughing and kissing, which emphasizes his state of lonely distress.
Deon Lotz’ powerful performance elevates this study of obsession and anger, while living a double life, to the realm of a tragic melodrama, in which appearances matter more than reality.
Thoigh setting his tae in a particular milieu and time, it’s fair to speculate that Harmanus intends this story as a broader social critique of the white middle class in South Africa, whse members would do anything to maintian their comfy bourgeois lifestyle, even if it calls for crime, duplicity, double life, and discrimnation,
Cast
Deon Lotz as François van Heerden
Roeline Daneel as Anika van Heerden
Sue Diepeveen as Marika Roodt
Charlie Keegan as Christian Roodt
Albert Maritz as Willem Roodt
Michelle Scott as Elena van Heerden