Beatrice (1987)

In the shadowy midst of the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), a brave warrior leaves his sanctuary for the blood-soaked battlefields that pit France against England. Entrusting his son, François, with a sword, he charges him with the protection of their home and his mother's purity. Yet, François stumbles upon a scene of his mother's willing infidelity, compelling him to wield the sword against the intruder. This act shrouds his young heart in guilt and breeds a bitter resentment towards his mother. Years later, François (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu), now a chevalier, is swept away by the currents of war. Left behind in the looming castle, a fortress of stone and solitude, is his daughter, Béatrice (Julie Delpy). A beacon of love and gentleness, she nurtures her younger brother and their errant mother. Her spirit remains unbroken as she yearns for the day her father's voice will once again fill their home. After four tumultuous years, marked by a harrowing stint as an English captive, François returns, a warrior hardened to stone, his faith in God lost. The ghost of his mother's betrayal still haunts him, fueling his descent into a hellish spiral of abuse. His venomous wrath poisons their once peaceful home; he taunts, terrorizes, and plunders the nearby village. He even forces his own son (Nils Tavernier) into a humiliating game of sadistic sport. As François sinks deeper into his abyss of depravity, it is the saintly Béatrice who bears the heaviest burden of his torment. Her fate, whether to be completely shattered by his cruelty or rise above it to bring about his downfall, becomes the film's pulsating heart as it drives towards its climactic resolution.

Beatrice is a drama movie featuring Julie Delpy and directed by Bertrand Tavernier.

Beatrice is currently streaming on IndieFlix.