Stranger by the Lake (Alain Quiraudie, 2013): France

Reviewed by Gabriella Baez. Reviewed at the AFI Film Festival, Los Angeles.

     The artfully done film by French director Alain Guiraudie, illustrates the capacity of love and the secrets we hold to secure it. Set in the isolated shore of a French lake, homosexual men come to “cruise” from one sex partner to the next. Monumentall to the films overall content is the nudity on the shore and extended sex scenes that take place hidden in the woods. The main protagonist Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps), is an openly gay man that quickly gets attached to the freedom and security of the lake. Almost instantaneous in the film, Franck falls into a deep infatuation with Michel (Cristophe Paou), the sexy and mystery man from across the lake.

Using the setting as a place to outwardly express their oppressed sexuality, many men develop a strong addiction to the visitation to the lake. Franck spends several hours at a time with his new found love Michael. Interestingly, the director only uses the lake as the setting for his storyline. After the closing of each day the next day opens up with the repetitive scene of Franck pulling up to the lake in his car. Due to the repetition of the structure of the film, the characters are highlighted by their addictive behavior. The scenery stays primarily static while the protagonist undergoes dynamic alterations.

The lake is symbolically used as a shelter or paradise for the men to go to escape the harsh opinionated society. The mise-en-scene, demonstrated specifically through the setting, invigorates the plot and motivates the characters to act freely in their environment.  They end up achieving their own paradise and it consumes Franck as reality. The situational irony begins at the climatic murder that lures in Franck into an undesirable circumstance, rather than casting him away. The most impactful is the scenic extreme long shots used to capture the isolation felt by the characters.

The entire film is challenging to watch due to the sexual nature of the film, but nevertheless is beautiful done. Obviously, this is not a film for children, but I would recommend this film to a more mature audience who has an open mind towards homosexual orientation. Having been new to the world of French film, I appreciated the raw design of the film and the adventurous mind set to go beyond what the audience expects to see. The most memorable shots sums up the film with the image of the broad lake, with the silhouettes of two men: one in love, the other in lust.