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Reviews
La Corde (2021)
Stalker 2.0
Interesting short serie, probably with a quite a low budget. For me, the concept is close to the 1979 Stalker, but a rope had replaced the railway. Scientists and non scientists are confronted to something they cannot understand. Love and death are present, in a beautiful but frightening Nordic landscape. Without spoiler, I can't write much more.
L'insoumis (1964)
Delon at his best, and a good story.
The story takes place in France in 1961 or 1962, at the end of the independence war in Algeria. Thomas (Alain Delon) is a former legionnaire who has chosen to join covert action against pro-FLN militants. Thomas is not a really politically-motivated activist, he has just followed his platoon commander. His group has abducted a female left-wing attorney (Lea Massari). In charge of guarding her in an empty flat, he kills another member of the group. Wounded, wanted by both his right-wing organisation and the police, he tries to escape with the girl. From the same movie-maker, and about a close topic, also see "Le Combat dans l'île".
La 317ème section (1965)
Still used for the infantrymen training
This movie is so close to the reality that, in the French Army, it is still used for the instruction of the young infantry platoon commanders. Notably the management of the NCOs, usually older and more experienced than the Lieutenant fresh from the Academy, is an interesting issue. And nearly all the basics of the infantryman on the battlefield are there. Keep in mind that Schoendorffer was a war correspondent within the French Army in Indochina at that time. The DVD version of the movie is now available (at least in France). Charlie Bravo (1980) is another French movie that depicts a similar story, but with less talent and less realistically.
Charlie Bravo (1980)
lost French platoon in the Vietnamese jungle
The story takes place in the last days of the French war in "Indochina" in 1954. A dozen of paratroopers land in the jungle for a rescue mission. The Vietminh will exterminate the soldiers as they are ready for ex-filtration, just at the time of the cease-fire between the French and the Vietminh. The scenario is similar to many war movies of better quality (from Aguirre by Herzog to "the 317th platoon" by Schoendorffer and "Southern Comfort" ) but "Charlie Bravo" (code name for the platoon) is not that bad... Some aspects of the scenario are not very realistic (the Army nurse they rescue looks so pretty after days in the jungle, lack of air support, suicide run on the beach ...).
Les oreilles sur le dos (2002)
Eaten by the jungle...
After a failed "Coup" in a South American capital, a few European mercenaries try to escape the local Army through the hostile desert and jungle, leaving a few bodies on their way to the seaside. Their leader is among them, and a French women who is fed up with her life as a prostitute joins the group. Tensions within them and the hostile environment will quickly result in the end of the adventure. Quite realistic (even if the French use to stage Coups in Africa rather than in South America). Of course, Beatrice Dalle is beautiful but the other actors are good as well. The movie was made for the French TV, unfortunately no DVD or VHS is available.