Brute

A monolith stands at the centre of Jeremy Comte’s Brute.

Delivered to the workshop of a sculptor, Peter (Mattis Savard-Verhoeven), it is the blank canvas from which he must divine his next artwork. In this  evocation of creative pressure – flirting both with feverish anxiety and rapturous vision – the act of determining the path forwards becomes a process of sublimation, of sight beyond sight and, ultimately, of an almost spiritual connection. Comte’s 2018 short Fauve was Oscar-nominated and his debut feature, Paradise, premiered in Berlin earlier this year. Brute screens this week in Oldenburg, having first premiered at Festival REGARD earlier in the year.

An experienced hand in crafting compelling shorts, Comte’s skill shows in Brute, a simple setup mined for striking imagery, enveloping sound design and a core idea that resonates well beyond its running time. Here that last element sees a significant portion of the film trading the artist’s workshop for the rainforest, as Peter is transported there as he works to find the masterpiece hidden within the grain of his material. Comte conceptualises the essence of creation as akin to deep understanding, in which the block of wood is no longer the inanimate object of the sculpture but the living beating heart of an ecosystem.

This all sounds very poetic, and the film certainly contains that element, but it is perhaps more memorable for the almost psychological horror that it inflicts before any moment of clarity. Here the walls shake and move, as Peter is trapped inside the workshop, with only whispering voices and strange presences for company. Michael Anctil’s sound design here is a high point, the equivalent of writer’s block reverberating through the building, creating a sticky discomfort that Peter must force his way through.

In Brute, Peter’s journey is a terrifying and painful one that takes him beyond the limits of space and time, allowing him to see beyond the confines of his physical reality to understand the ecological implications of his craft – or does it? Perhaps the film occurs entirely within Peter’s mind, the crippling anxiety giving way to peace of having found his way. Comte leaves such decisions to the viewer’s discretion, and audiences will likely enjoy mulling over its implications.

Director, screenplay, editing: Jeremy Comte
Cast: Mattis Savard-Verhoeven
Producers: Laurent Allaire, Jeremy Comte
Cinematography: Kristof Brandl
Music: Daniela Andrade
Sound: Michael Anctil
Artistic director: Kenny Dorvil
Venue: Oldenburg Film Festival (Shorts)
No dialogue
16 minutes

Read our coverage of more short films in our Verdict Shorts section.