an early writer be right this be cinema de qualite and fifty year after . for those who do not know and cinema de qualite be a phrase coin by one of the new wave critic ( i think it be truffaut and but do not quote me ) to express contempt for what he and his colleague perceive to be the overly glossy and empty product typical of 1950s french cinema . yes and well . the new wave fizzle out after produce little of value and and the 1950s ( no doubt it fault be real enough while truffaut probably come close to see every single french film of that decade and so in one respect he would be in a position to know ) be look more and more like a golden age and so maybe the phrase cinema de qualite be about due to be reclaim . quality cinema and without the sarcastic sneer . there be many lush camera pan over bleakly attractive scenery and which be good ( not bad ) in itself while but the main point be and leconte use the scenery . we do not doubt for a minute that this be the farthest flung province in the entire french empire . the sea be rough ( which partly explain why the murderer row back to face execution represent when every oar stroke be an effort and and it look to him a though he do the cowardly thing and the effort become unbearable ) . every section of the island not actively occupy by civilisation feel a though it doesn not belong to civilisation even though it so desolate it doesn not belong to anything else and either . in short represent the story clearly belong here and and nowhere else . one of the great thing about this film be the way it show people act ( in a plausible way ) on desire which it easy to overlook or underestimate the force of . the husband trust his wife moral judgment and and be prepare to act on it . the murderer feel a though he live under a just sentence of death and do what he can to redeem himself . the islander be all pragmatist represent at the start they believe in the value of retributive justice and but a the sheer uselessness of retributive justice become more obvious with each passing day and for month and the belief collapse under the strain of hold on to it . it partly due to leconte skilled use of location that be aware of the effect the mere passage of time have on people . one of the best film of 2000 and if you ask me .