Loin des hommes (2014)

There is something eerily enigmatic in seeing a lone teacher in a one-room school in the middle of nowhere. It was used to great effect in Ted Kotcheff's re-discovered 1971 Australian classic Wake in Fright and director David Oelhoffen conjures similar ambiance in his ultimately gripping Algerian-based drama Far From Men.

Set in 1950s Algeria against a backdrop of growing civil unrest to French colonial rule, Daru (Viggo Mortensen), is an apparently unassuming French teacher in a remote and barren outpost, educating young Arab children on matters French with no apparent nod to their own heritage. His isolated retreat is broken by the manacled arrival of Mohamed (Reda Kateb) on a charge of the murder of his cousin. He is ordered to take the prisoner to the nearest French administrative centre where he knows full well that after a perfunctory trial, the Arab will be found guilty and executed. More than reluctant to undertake this task, which he clearly views as accessory to a killing, events take a dramatic turn leaving the diffident teacher with no moral alternative but to undertake the task. The film then follows their journey as they head out over rocky, mountainous terrain.

Oelhoffen and cinematographer Guillaume Deffontaines take full advantage of the Algerian desert landscape, frequently showing the two men pitted against its magnitude and harsh, extreme conditions. It is exceedingly well shot, drawing the audience in with its captivating imagery. Music from Australians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis was unobtrusive.

Initially slow-burning, the film bursts into energy with gripping drama, twists and turns. As the back stories unfold, the surprising resilience and phlegm shown by the quiet teacher is understood. The conclusion was unexpectedly poignant.

The concept and themes of two diverse men on a road journey pitted against elements and events far bigger than them are not unfamiliar. But the injection of unexpected plot devices and character development keep the film fresh and the audience engaged. Performances from both Mortensen and Kateb are strong and the two actors gel together well.