Language: French
Director: Hubert Charuel
Duration: 90 minutes
French filmmaker Hubert Charuel's debut feature Bloody Milk (Petit Paysan) tells the gripping tale of a young dairy farmer's attempts to keep his business and thus life going.
The film begins with a dream sequence in which Pierre (Swann Arlaud), who is in his thirties and unmarried, runs a dairy farm where he has some 30 head of cattle in rural France. The opening dream sequence where all of his 30 cows throng the house of Pierre, who is in his thirties and unmarried, itself establishes his love and affection for the herd.
Pierre is the sort of man who prefers the calm rustic life to the celebrations that his generation would not want to miss. His life moves around his farm and the cows that he call by their names.
The plot thickens as he discovers that a tragic fate awaits him in the form of a deadly disease in one of his bovines. He finds himself in a quandary as the authorities would butcher the entire herd if they come to know of the disease.
Left without an option, Pierre butchers the ailing cow in a bid to save the rest of the herd.
The rest of the film gains the pace of a thriller that realistically portrays the young soft-spoken farmer's attempts to cover up his crime at one hand and to save his means of livelihood at any cost.
The following sequences feature his interaction with his sister Pascale, who is a local vet, and the only person with whom Pierre can communicate at least partially.
The 90-minute tale progresses as Pierre encounters more troubles that prompt him to fight back strongly. Swann Arlaud's stunning performance as Pierre, which includes real life moments of animal husbandry and even the delivery of a calf, is the backbone of the film.
At a time when 'cow' has become the biggest political symbol and a hot topic of debate in India, this French naturalistic thriller offers a lot for interpretation. The film, in essence, looks at a farmer's affection for his herd. This becomes evident when he tells his sister that the delay in payment of compensation was not the reason why he was being reluctant to let his cows be butchered. The film presents both human beings and animals without any hallow over their heads.
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