'Star Wars' with non-professional actors in a small town in northern France

Contemplative ruralism, absurd humor and philosophical undertones: these are the author's hallmarks by the Frenchman Bruno Dumont since his debut in 1997 with The life of Jesus and gained a reputation as an unclassifiable and often controversial filmmaker. Despite his recognizable style, Dumont likes to reinvent himself, whether by making a miniseries or P'tit Quinquin or playing with the musical in Jeannette, the childhood of Joan of Arc. With The empire, winner of the Jury Prize at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival, aims to create an epic science fiction work.

A village in northern France becomes the battleground for two alien factions: the Zeros, who want to reduce humanity to its most primal instincts, and the Ones, who want to establish a more egalitarian society on Earth. The fate of this war rests in the hands of a baby called the Leader, who will become the target of both sides.

Although the premise hints at a reflection on polarization in the digital age, the director is more interested in constructing a farce in which much of the humor lies in the contrast between the plot, typical of Star WarsAnd the rural landscape, populated by non-professional actors who look like villagers—there are also professionals, such as Fabrice Luchini, among others. The joke quickly loses its humor, and the lack of powerful images, present in other films by Dumont such as Humanitycondemnation The empire to instant oblivion.