Earth and Blood (2020)

Known for his french action shoot-em-up films, including a recent collaboration with JC Van Damme, writer/director Leclercq has delivered here a strong shoot out film with significant pathos that mostly delivers. The story is straight forward but executed very well if thinly drawn. The film sticks to its story and tells it in a way that is gripping and compelling in its rather brief runtime to give a very satisfying watch.

A terminally ill man decides to sell his remote sawmill only to find out his business has been compromised by criminals and he has to fight his way out to survive and for his daughter to survive. It is a simple idea that pays off as Leclercq focuses on blending the drama of the man's desperation along with some well structured action set pieces. Even in the short time he manages to touch on ideas around legacy, responsibility, a parent's love of their child.

Earth and Blood remarkably avoids a lot of stereotypes that this genre tends to revel in, partially it does this by casting almost entirely people of colour so the film doesn't become an invasion analogy of "foreigners." It also features a deaf character in a lead role whose deafness isn't used to victimize her. The film navigates a lot of these pitfalls well for its short run time.

Earth and Blood is beautifully shot in a lot of twilight sky semi-darkness bringing out the majesty of the woods and the mill. And when the action starts it gets bloody so be ready for that.

Leclercq sets up his cornered shoot out scenario simply and effectively and then lets loose. I enjoyed the way he built tension through a slow burn first half so that when the bullets started flying you really felt it. Sure the characters and themes could have been developed more in a longer film and perhaps much of that is drawn rather thing. But for what it does Earth and Blood succeeds; a tense standoff that is thrilling to watch.

La Terre et le Sang/Earth and Blood
Starring: Sami Bouajila, Eriq Ebouaney, Samy Seqhir, Sofia Lesaffre
Director: Julien Leclercq
Writers: Jeremey Guez, Julien Leclercq