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Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: former user on February 06, 2014, 07:15:06 AM
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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).
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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.
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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.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/Indig_zps08878423.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/Plynkes/media/Indig_zps08878423.jpg.html)
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.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/freefrench_zpsba00a40a.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/Plynkes/media/freefrench_zpsba00a40a.jpg.html) (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/freefrench2_zps3ddc9a8d.jpg) (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/Plynkes/media/freefrench2_zps3ddc9a8d.jpg.html)
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. :)
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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.
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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
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31-UCaQ47sI
Clip of a documentary on the battle of Stonne in 1940 (bits are CGI)
Carl
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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
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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?
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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
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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#
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O0CIi55zEk
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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… lol
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oh, I can wait until the french forumites show up, I'm 45 :D
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Okay, topic split, and posted off to WW2 Land. :)
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I enjoyed Indigenes; even bought the bluray. :D
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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!
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I rather meant their homepage, not what they are shouting
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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!
I think my French must be fairly decent then - I can get it without sous-titres! lol
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There are some French troops in the Dunkirk part of the movie Atonement...the Dunkirk section of the movie is worth watching but found the rest of the movie very yawn inducing
I enjoyed Days of Glory and for a low budget war movie found it packed a punch
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There's Indigènes (English title "Days of Glory", which really is so generic and awful, and doesn't describe the film at all).
iii) (completely personal opinion here, but) it is pretty terrible.
I would agree. The director had no understanding of filming action scenes.
However I don't think the director was making a war movie, he was making a social comment movie that happened to be set during a war. If viewed like that, its pretty good.
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Hi,
There is a movie and it's two sequel : Mais où est passée la septième compagnie ? ( But where has gone the 7th company ?) It is a comical movie set in the debacle , but you have french uniforms, french humour ( not only the germans are laughed at, but the french take it's toll as well ! )
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mais_o%C3%B9_est_donc_pass%C3%A9e_la_septi%C3%A8me_compagnie_%3F
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Septi%C3%A8me_Compagnie_au_clair_de_lune
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_a_retrouv%C3%A9_la_septi%C3%A8me_compagnie
Hope it help
Fred
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Hi again,
A little selection :
French SAS liberating Britanny, from a book by J.Kessel :
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Bataillon_du_ciel
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Un_jour_avant_l%27aube
War in the desert
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Un_taxi_pour_Tobrouk
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Morfalous
This one is about resistance, but from the railway workers to block german reinforcing Normandy front ( I loved this one when I was a kid for some battle scenes, and a nice train derailment )
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bataille_du_rail
Cheers
Fred
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Hi macgarns - Your 2nd post is extremely interesting. THX very much!
french humour is not bad either, but I've seen a lot of comedies making fun of the defeat
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I saw one with a fat inn keeper lady,German Mountain troops (the commander traveled in a side car...) French Resistance...
Trying to remember the name...maybe " La Banquise"...?
Gui