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Isabelle Huppert stars as Maria Vial, fiery matriarch of a coffee plantation, in Claire Denis’ disturbing new film White Material. The African nation she calls home is in the midst of a bloody revolution; the white population has been ordered off their land. Yet Maria won’t leave. Her dysfunctional, dependent family also remains.

Denis doles out the story of this struggling family -- at war with themselves -- in small, controlled doses.

The film begins with Huppert alone on a dusty road, desperately seeking transport. From there, the narrative moves backwards. A mysterious man known as the Boxer (Isaach De Bankolé) is found dead by army soldiers.

Huppert is an extraordinarily gifted actress. She is beyond stubborn in the role of Maria Vial, maddeningly so. As the danger increases, she digs in deeper. I found myself reacting strongly to Maria’s decisions, feeling afraid for her for her safety, but also increasingly furious with her. African children, wielding machetes and machine guns, rob her home and attack her son. This is genuine, terrifying menace on screen.

Watching White Material is in no way a passive experience. Denis has made a powerful, engrossing film. Unfortunately, I balked at the ending. In a film that had me rapt and on edge, I was outraged and unconvinced by the final moment. Together, Denis and Huppert pushed me just a beat too far.

White Material (2009)

Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Isaach DeBankolé, William Nadylam ,Christopher Lambert
Directed by: Claire Denis
Produced by: Pascal Caucheteux
Running Time: 1 hr.

42 min.
Release Date: November 19th, 2010 (limited)
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributors: IFC Films