The Life of Jesus (1997)

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This French coming-of-age movie marked the debut of writer-director Bruno Dumont. The film bears a symbolic resemblance to the life of Jesus Christ, but it has no direct relationship with his life. The story is set in the small, economically stagnant town of Bailleul in northern France. Freddy… More This French coming-of-age movie marked the debut of writer-director Bruno Dumont. The film bears a symbolic resemblance to the life of Jesus Christ, but it has no direct relationship with his life. The story is set in the small, economically stagnant town of Bailleul in northern France. Freddy (David Douche) is a 19-year-old epileptic whose mother runs a small restaurant. Freddy and his friends get unemployment benefits and ride motorbikes to kill time. They are bored and seething with unfocused resentments, which they often take out on local Arab immigrants. One immigrant, Kader (Kader Chaatouf), enrages Freddy and his friends by proposing marriage to Freddy's girlfriend Marie (Marjorie Cottreel), so Freddy and his friends set out to punish him. Dumont went on to direct the acclaimed drama L'humanite, also set in Bailleul. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi