La Bête dans la Jungle (The Beast in the Jungle)

Henry James’s The Beast in the Jungle turns 120, and in this time the novella has been subject to a number of adaptations – another French version (helmed by Bertrand Bonello) is even set for a release later in the year, possibly eyeing Cannes. In his Berlinale Panorama entry, Austrian director Patric Chiha relocates the action from Edwardian London to a Parisian nightclub, with the narrative spanning from the 1970s until the turn of the millennium.

At her usual haunt, a mysterious figure catches May’s (Anaïs Demoustier) eye. Upon following the man to the toilets, she is pleased to find out that it is indeed John (Tom Mercier, star of 2019 Golden Bear winner Synonyms), whom she insists she met years ago at a beach. He starts to believe her when she mentions a secret he disclosed to her back then, and returns to the club the next day just to see May. The two grow closer and decide to take on the mission of waiting for his fate together.

Looking at the pulsing imagery, the dramaturgic choice of venue makes perfect sense: where else does an immobile person stick out more than amid the ebb and flow of dancing bodies? Within James’s story is a sorrowful critique of the self-fulfilling prophecy that the famous “fear of missing out” carries, but in Chiha’s feature, John’s paralysing incongruousness actually makes him a relatable protagonist. The over-exaggerated physical contortions, the facial expressions that try to mimic ecstasy betray the uncomfortably performative element of dance and alienate the crowd from the viewer.

The setting only changes for a few historical occasions, which often serve as markers for the passage of time: the election of president Mitterand, the AIDS epidemic that sweeps the club empty, the fall of the Berlin Wall – while May and John make no headway.

The altogether dreamlike staging is also present in stylised and tendentiously physical performances: both Mercier and Demoustier are utterly bewitching and a pleasure to watch.

Selina Sondermann

La Bête dans la Jungle (The Beast in the Jungle) does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Berlin Film Festival 2023 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Berlin Film Festival website here.

Watch the trailer for La Bête dans la Jungle (The Beast in the Jungle) here: