French Film "Staying Vertical" Written & Directed by Alain Guiraudie Therianthropic Topic

French screenwriter/dir Alain Guiraudie's film "Staying Vertical" was nominated for last year's Cannes Film Festival.  Guiraudie is openly gay & the content of his films dominately portray LGBT characters.  In "Staying Vertical" the central character Leo (French actor Damien Bonnard) is a predatory viper at the top of the food chain (like his namesake.)  Leo is seen spying (often) through his binoculars.  He hones in on a lone shepherdess, Marie with rifle in hand guarding her flock.  Marie welcomes him to accompany her.  She expounds the evils of the wolves who have been preying on their sheep.  Leo defends the animals and their simmering exchange turns into a heated sexual liasion.  Leo returns to the farm with her & charms himself into the family's good graces & into Marie's bed.  This film is sexually graphic in a very lascivious and animalistic.  Sex is used for gaining something from the other partner. The partners interchange in perverse & provocative arrangements.  Leo & Marie give birth to a son (her 3rd.)  The birth scene is so close & uninhibited I felt intrusive (& coerced into bearing witness.)     Guiraudie has an aptitude for making an audience uncomfortable & submissive to his ferocious storytelling.  Leo meets with a female, new age healer who is an enabler.  She abets his deceitful,  rapacious behaviors.  "Staying Vertical," "stirred up a lot of shit."  Any straight, moral compass went so awry as to serve as a lethal weapon.  Leo is not the only carnivorous creature in the film.  The consumate ending was a perfect coupe de grace to this film that was awash in atrociousness.  Credit must be given to cinematographer, Claire Mathon, who captured the chilling atmosphere in a stealthy, voyeuristic style.  Since I found "Staying Vertical" is so perturbing - why did I stay with it?  Because, "I'm just another another brick in the wall."  (Pink Floyd)  The term therianthropic means the transformation of a man into a wolf.  This bit of mystical alchemy was happening right before our eyes and it became impossible to turn away from this cunning & unsettling film.