From a macro perspective, the fractious romance at the center of Jacques Doillon's powerful Raja could be seen as a sweeping allegory on colonialism, with a wealthy middle-aged westerner laying claim over a 19-year-old Moroccan orphan. But it's a mark of the film's generosity and depth that its characters are not merely pieces on a board, crudely orchestrated to suit some facile political agenda. The taint of paternalism lingers, but it's only one of several obstacles that conspire to keep the couple apart, including massive differences in age, income, and sophistication, as well as an impenetrable language barrier.
Things begin innocently enough on the grounds of a spacious Marrakech estate, where idle Frenchman Pascal Greggory flirts with boyish beauty Najat Benssallem as she tends to his garden. Immediately, money comes into play on both ends, planting suspicions and misunderstandings: The arrogant Greggory sizes her up like a display item in a shop window, and Benssallem bristles defensively at the idea of being bought. Unable to communicate on any level, the two are yoked together out of separate needs and desires, but their already unstable and exploitative arrangement is further strained by the self-serving interests of those around them.
Even without all the other complications, Doillon's handling of the language gap alone gives Raja a pungent dramatic edge. Knowing they can't understand each other, Greggory and Benssallem are free to voice their frankest thoughts without any repercussions, which in turn allows the audience to access their feelings directly. This also lends bilingual speakers an inordinate amount of leverage in sabotaging the relationship for their own purposes, particularly a pair of underhanded servants who feel threatened by Benssallem's presence in the house.
Never intent to take the easy way out, Doillon keeps his characters from living up to their initial impressions. Greggory, lecherous and predatory at first blush, shows glimmers of selflessness and good intentions, however misplaced; Benssallem, who draws him close enough for money and resists him out of pride, pays for her hardheadedness. Their interactions have the tone of an ongoing negotiation, each bartering for leverage in an uneasy relationship where the emotional stakes are high. Locked in a tense stalemate, their battles yield sharp insights into the ways circumstance can irrevocably determine love's course.