‘Disco Boy’ review: Franz Rogowski enchants in Giacomo Abbruzzese’s daring, dreamlike debut feature | Berlinale

Disco Boy is both equal parts mysterious and beguiling, as director Giacomo Abbruzzese guides the audience on a harrowing, yet intimate and sometimes dream-like journey. Franz Rogowski brilliantly leads the film, playing a Belarusian in search of a better, more free life in France. Abbruzzese’s debut feature is a bold and hypnotising film.

The film begins as a bus full of football-loving tourists reach the border of Belarus and Poland. In this bus are Aleksei (Franz Rogowski) and Mikhail (Michał Balicki), who have their hearts set on going to Paris, despite their Schengen visas only being valid for a one day trip. Things get rough quickly as an incident causes Franz’s Aleksei to go at it alone, eventually reaching Paris. Here, he enlists in the French Foreign Legion, a faction within the French national army composed of foreigners, many of whom illegally reached France. With the promise of a French passport after multiple years of service, Aleksei becomes deeply involved in training. He shows promise as a formidable fighter and thus is picked for a covert hostage rescue mission overseas in Nigeria.

The part of Nigeria that Aleksei and his team arrive at is controlled by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, abbreviated as MEND, a rebellious anti-government group. Here, the audience is introduced to the leader of MEND called Jomo, (Morr Ndiaye), his sister (Laetitia Ky) and their village. But it isn’t long before they are met with resistance due to the French captives they hold, hence Aleksei being deployed to Nigeria. What ensues is a story told from both of the main characters’ perspectives until the moment that they cross paths.

What’s most fascinating about the film is the various perspectives it shows. Both men clearly come from entirely different worlds, but it’s almost as if both characters become one by the end of the film. There is a political message somewhere here, but its true meaning is lost due to the film’s vagueness. Abbruzzese heavily relies on ambiguity, so all meaning is derived from facial expressions and visual imagery rather than dialogue. Out of thin air on one boozy night, one of the MEND villagers appears as a dancer in the nightclub that Aleksei frequents. The initial shot makes for a striking dream-like visual. But nothing is explained, we are left questioning the encounter. This reliance on ambiguity can be both infuriating and intriguing to those watching, it really depends on the spectator and their watching habits. 

Even the film’s visuals are quite impressionistic and dreamy, every outdoor scene is nicely shot by cinematographer Hélène Louvart while the complete opposite is true of a key night-set fight scene. It’s shot using night vision, with heat signatures as the only light source. This technique is almost intrusive as it disrupts the film’s style, which in hindsight is a clever trick as it’s a turning point for the film’s narrative. It makes for an extremely memorable moment. Louvart’s shots build an enchanting atmosphere that straddles a thin line between reality and the dreamlike, assisting Abbruzzese’s vision. 

The circumstances of the film make one question the film’s title, Disco Boy, and its true meaning. A story about a French Foreign Legion soldier in Nigeria, at face value, does not spark any connection to disco, or music in general but more like the mood of a modern Beau Travail. But by establishing the MEND side of the story, dancing and music become a vital part of the film. Abbruzzese’s title is a little on-the-nose but makes complete sense given a specific character’s want to be a nightclub dancer and the beguiling link between the two protagonists. Rogowski, hot off Cannes last year with Great Freedom and Passages at Sundance this year, has an enchanting presence that undoubtedly elevates Abbruzzese’s film. He commands audience attention through his ever-mysterious looks and delicate movements, which contrast his outer persona as a soldier. Ndiaye has very little screen time compared to Rogowski but his aura lingers on as Aleksei is haunted by his time near the Niger Delta and their brief but impactful encounter.

Although the film doesn’t quite come together as neatly as it could, Italian writer-director Giacomo Abbruzzese proves his talent as a fiction filmmaker with Disco Boy. There are a whole lot of great ideas that permeate throughout the film. One can’t help but wonder if a smidge less ambiguity would’ve knitted those final strands together in a satisfying way. –

Grade: B

This review is from the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.