If you know anything about Gaspar Noés’ films,  you know that you will be challenged, sometimes aggressively so. His 2019 film LUX ÆTERNA is no acception. Running at just over 51 minutes, the film leaves a feature-length impact with a commentary on the arduous process of birthing art. Focusing on the chaos of a film set, Noe casts Béatrice Dalle as the director of a film about the history of witches with Charlotte Gainsbourg as the lead. Using his trademark sensory overload we witness the chaos and madness of a creative hive working to achieve a single shot against all odds. This is a phenomenal but far too short trip that will leave you breathless in the best way.

As the film opens Dalle and Gainsbourg are chatting offset. The conversation is casual and frivolous. They are called to set by an assistant and the action really begins. Using split-screen, Noe follows Gainsbourg as she is ushered through hair and makeup while Dalle attempts to take command of her set. There are overlapping dialogue, subtitles, and two continuous narratives happening at once, demanding the viewer not only keep up, but decipher the riot of action on screen.

The film being made isn’t really all that important as much as the process of wrangling the hundreds of people that it takes to produce a scene. A producer is angry at a casting choice after a contract is signed. Actor Abbey Lee is upset at costume choices and unplanned nudity. The costume designer is bragging that he can get a stand-in far more parts in bigger projects. Worst of all, Gainsbourg receives deeply troubling news moments before stepping on to set.

I loved what was here, but again, I am already a fan of Noe’s work. He is a master provocateur that loves to push buttons and demands that his audience feels uncomfortable. Here we see artists battling every conceivable obstacle to achieve a moment of greatness on screen. I think that what Noe really captures, aside from the frantic nature of a set, is the strange loneliness that each contributor endures on a project. There are hundreds of people here all feeling isolated in their own madness. It’s pretty brilliant.

This isn’t a film for everyone. In fact, I would venture to guess that that is exactly the opposite of what Noé intends with each one of his projects. Even with a very straightforward concept of movie production, he goes deeper. As the film reaches a crescendo and the visuals violate the eyes, we sink into our minds to process what we’ve seen. Noé‘s message here isn’t the most groundbreaking, but it’s the way he does it that raises his work above most others. As far as where this lands in his oeuvre, it’s in the middle. But even his worst stuff is at least interesting.

7 Out of 10