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The Last Battle (A.K.A. Le Dernier Combat)

Before Luc Besson went on to make waves in Hollywood with such extraordinary productions as "The Fifth Element" and "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc," the French-born director debuted into the film world with his first feature, "The Last Battle," set in the post-apocalyptic ruins of Earth. In a land where skyscrapers protrude through sand dunes, and dead fish rain from the sky during thunderstorms, a group of men struggles to survive the harshness of their surroundings and themselves. One man (Pierre Jolivet), a loner whose wife and child were lost in the unnamed disaster, moves from place to place, exhausting resources and locating new ways of replenishment. It is only after befriending an aged doctor (Jean Bouise) that he begins to open up for the first time. ***

"The Last Battle," although beautifully shot, is a story that isn't quite as affecting emotionally as it is visually. This examination of the human condition under such circumstances as portrayed here isn't thoroughly engrossing or completely captivating, but Besson does succeed in conveying a brute, animalistic portrait of these men, who must fight for survival through any means, primal or ancestral. And his vision of a futuristic Earth is absolutely breathtaking, with mind-blowing vistas and a production design that, when coupled with the noirish black-and-white photography, creates a sense of stony dread. It is only in the film's final scene that we have a true sense of hope for mankind's survival. Visionary and intriguing for its depiction of a not-so-ridiculous possibility, Besson's premiere, although not as memorable as his later work, stands as a remarkable piece.

A pretty solid-looking presentation, considering the material at hand. With Besson's intentions for a gritty subtext in mind, the presence of film grain as well as some noticeable blemishes on the source print should provide no one with a reason to quibble, as it fits in with the film perfectly. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio has been anamorphically enhanced, and detail is nicely rendered with lots of sharp edges that retain only a small amount of halos. Contrast is generally pleasing, while shadow detail is good and blacks solid throughout. Very nice. ***

The sound is mastered in Dolby 2.0 Surround, and is actually quite a pleasing listen. Though much of the film can be dead-silent, there are moments where the music and sound effects can become very aggressive and noisy. Surrounds are very clean and used a good deal, while the low end gets some much-needed punctuation from the .1 LFE. Since there is almost no dialogue save for one whispered line, there is no need for comment on that here. Channel separation and imaging is mediocre but still good. --