War Movies Featuring the French Army

[former user]

since we have diverted anyay somehow, please let me ask a question back:

what WW2 movies are out there that show the french military contribution? And I do not mean the important resistance activities nor the standing by the road and throwing flowers at "les americains"  , but plain uniformed military frenchman, either retreating, surrendering, collaborating or firing their weapons in anger at either axis or allied troops.

I am interested in the media representation of the french military, because I want my own cognitive image sorted out.
I want to know why in my mind the image of the adrian helmet on top of a double breasted, typically buttoned up greatcoat always reeks of defeat and military incompetence (without wanting to imply at all that this might be correct or not).

[Westfalia Chris]

what WW2 movies are out there that show the french military contribution?

Off the top of my head (and not wanting to offend any French folks), I can only think of "Week-end à Zuydcoote" (German title: "Dünkirchen, 2. Juni 1940"). Bit of a Jean-Paul Belmondo vehicle, but reasonably decent in most aspects. Little in the way of battles, though.

[Plynkes]

There's Indigènes (English title "Days of Glory", which really is so generic and awful, and doesn't describe the film at all).

However, it is:

i) about North African troops rather than "metropolitan" French
ii) set mid-late war so the equipment is British/American and there isn't an Adrian helmet in sight
iii) (completely personal opinion here, but) it is pretty terrible.





Not a complete film, but rather a section of a film: The Longest Day was shot by multiple directors, each taking responsibility for part of the story. The section about the French Commando assault on Ouistreham was shot by a French director, and has a noticeably different style to the rest of the film. It has far and away the best action sequences in the movie, in my opinion. Nice that in a film mostly about British, Americans, Germans (and the Resistance) that we get to see just what it means to these French soldiers to be returning to liberate home soil. Again, no Adrians in sight, as No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando were trained and outfitted as British commandos.





Anyone who knows anything about Verdun doesn't think "surrender, defeat and incompetence" when they think of the Adrian and Greatcoat. Quite the reverse. Unfortunately, the legacy of the Second World War has swept all that away in the popular imagination. It is rather unfortunate that it was Pétain who was largely responsible for the victory at Verdun, and France would rather forget he ever existed.



Mod hat on: If this side discussion takes on a life of its own I'll split it off as a second topic and send it to the WW2 boards, as we don't want to hijack King Tiger's thread. But if nobody can think of any more films we'll leave it be.  

[maxxon]

what WW2 movies are out there that show the french military contribution?

The Big Red One has a short segment about Vichy French opposing the Torch landings.

[former user]

THX
I did not know the last suggestion, the other three I saw, even remember the D-Day bit

@Dylan, I share Your opinion about Indigenes, anbitioned and well meant - Yes, the french are pathological about forgetting the contribution to the liberty paid in blood by their old colonial subjects - but as a movie it was close to embarrassing

[cdr]

Clip of a documentary on the battle of Stonne in 1940 (bits are CGI)

Carl

[former user]

THX for that one!  well made clip
the german tank though seemed like some kind of hybrid.... strange

maybe we should indeed split the thread? or simply transfer it to WW2? the OT is just as well about WW2 as about WW1

[Calimero]

Clip of a documentary on the battle of Stonne in 1940 (bits are CGI)

Carl

Is it just me or that’s a lot of (what look like) panzer IV for that early in the war?

[former user]

Yep, I counted 8 in a row
but it is actual a very rare model, the so called "kurze Pz IV", with only six roadwheels instead of the usual 8 per side

but never mind the clip is astonishing good for a documentary, and the tank sequences are very good compared to other CG I've seen

[former user]

this is a real treasure!
it appears they made a whole movie or two - some reenactment group - my french is not good enough

http://1940.en.film.free.fr/pages/accueil.html#

[Calimero]

this is a real treasure!
it appears they made a whole movie or two - some reenactment group - my french is not good enough

Can’t help you with that right now… still at work and I have to look to it without sounds…

[former user]

oh, I can wait until the french forumites show up, I'm 45 

[Plynkes]

Okay, topic split, and posted off to WW2 Land. 

[grant]

I enjoyed Indigenes; even bought the bluray. 

[FramFramson]

My French ain't bad (I use it every day after all), but between elderly mumbles, mediocre sound, and scenes where modern reenactors are using French WWII jargon covered by the sounds of guns firing, I could barely understand the thing. When the younger guys were doing documentary interview bits, I could understand them just fine!