RAJA (2003)

After spending much of the 90s on films that inclined toward problems faced by the youth, director Jacques Doillon went back to the psychologically complex turf of his earlier films with Raja, a subtle yet evocative romance between two individuals caught within a social and cultural tug-of-war. Like many Doillon films, Raja picks up its characters at a nondescript moment in their lives and then drops them off without much noise thus emphasizing the overall linearity of life. The titular character is a 19-year-old tomboy (Najat Benssalam) whos been through some rough patches as an orphan in Morocco. While working in the garden of a wealthy French intellectual, Fred (Pascal Greggory), she catches his eye. Fred is leading a rather dreary life after being separated from his wife; however, what he does have is time and money and he gets the inclination of using them, perhaps to get a hold of a branch for just a while before being engulfed by old age. Raja isnt the most beautiful girl working at his posh compound but he feels invigorated by her vitality and dynamism. Fred tries to buy her in different ways but isnt able to make a proper connection due to cultural and language barriers. He underestimates her individuality, but more importantly, hes unable to sort out the base of his own feeling for her. Eventually, he learns that she belongs to a local pimp (Hassan Khissal) who has plans of marrying her. There are hints of a post-colonial outlook with the proceedings but Doillons characters are too emotionally damaged to be involved in any sort of an allegorical premise. The constant shifting of feelings that are beautifully incorporated by Doillons screenplay and mise-en-scne add numerous layers to this otherwise simple film. And those shifts wouldve felt ordinary if it wasnt for the intelligent performances of Greggory and Benssalam, especially the young Moroccan actress who allows us to see the other side of her character which initially seemed quite narrow. By bypassing all the differences that exist between the two characters, Raja is ultimately about their biggest yet most basic difference of all that of a Man and a Woman.

_______________________

*RAJA premiered in France in 2003 and it went on to play at various festivals including Venice, Toronto and NY. The film was released theatrically and on DVD by Film Movement last year in the U.S.