If we often hear that contrary to the US, the French did not make movies on its own wars, we had a few movies like "R.A.S." or "Avoir 20 ans dans les Aurès", shot in the beginning of the seventies, i.e. a bit less than 20 years since Algeria war start (1954-1962) - to be fair some movies have been shot before but weren't focused on the war itself and the French army, or were banned.
These are done however quite differently. Realistically shot - therefore less packed with action and more rough and dry - as the mountains and desert there - compared to the american movies in the luxuriant jungle. And centered on the individual choice of every soldier - every conscripted I should say - and its relation with the war and with the authorities. Do I believe that I am requested and doing the right thing? Do I have the right to kill, even to defend myself? Can I cope with torture, even if that can save soldiers lives? As French had no choice but to join the army, the focus is put on the people that struggle to deal with all these things and how the army try to "free" their soldiers from these individual choices and make them "good" soldiers, obeying whatever order they can be given. In that way, these French movies are more biting towards the army than american movies, the downside being that following more the ethical debates within the soldiers we are less "feeling" the war and how it can affect them.
R.A.S. (nothing to report) is that type of movie and follows a few of these young men that had to rally the flag and go to Algeria. It focuses on a few that decides to stick to their principles and how they can remain true to themselves - or not.
These are done however quite differently. Realistically shot - therefore less packed with action and more rough and dry - as the mountains and desert there - compared to the american movies in the luxuriant jungle. And centered on the individual choice of every soldier - every conscripted I should say - and its relation with the war and with the authorities. Do I believe that I am requested and doing the right thing? Do I have the right to kill, even to defend myself? Can I cope with torture, even if that can save soldiers lives? As French had no choice but to join the army, the focus is put on the people that struggle to deal with all these things and how the army try to "free" their soldiers from these individual choices and make them "good" soldiers, obeying whatever order they can be given. In that way, these French movies are more biting towards the army than american movies, the downside being that following more the ethical debates within the soldiers we are less "feeling" the war and how it can affect them.
R.A.S. (nothing to report) is that type of movie and follows a few of these young men that had to rally the flag and go to Algeria. It focuses on a few that decides to stick to their principles and how they can remain true to themselves - or not.