2004, France/USA
Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Romance, War
Five men, sent to their death by their own countrymen in a war they abhor. Five men whose sentence-able crime was that they mutilated themselves in order to escape the horror of unfathomable bloodshed. Five men with families and lovers whose only dream was to see them alive again under any possible circumstance. A carpenter, a welder, a farmer, a thief and a lighthouse boy -- all French soldiers in the first World War, all brothers in a march to death.
Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, The City of Lost Children) applies his fantastical vision to the otherworldly atmosphere and morals of life on the frontline in France. Although the soldiers of Sebastien Japrisot's brilliantly told tale are treated with respect, war is not veiled in blind patriotism nor the opposing side shielded in uncompromising evil. Soldiers kill soldiers of the same uniform and brothers in war do not merely die in each other's arms at the conclusion of a triumphant soliloquy. War is a horrific, mind-altering experience from which they wish desperately to escape.
Destruction does not fall only on the battlefield, for when soldiers are left for dead, homes are left broken. One such home is that of the lighthouse boy's heartbroken fiancé, Mathilde. In the years following the presumed death of her missing-in-action lover, she cannot accept his passing. A stranger enters her life with a box of tokens that leads her on a journey to discover the truth, powered only by thin strings of hope. Each token is the final gift home by each of the condemned men, with the exception of her lover whose mind at that point could no longer comprehend the world into which he had been swallowed.
Unpresuming gestures of love and last thoughts to the untrained eye, this tortured lover begins to analyze each clue and unravel the rich tapestry of each of the missing soldier's lives. This is not without selfish aims, as Mathilde has her beloved's fate in mind as she and her hired detective follow each trail and meet the wearied loves of the other men.
The thief's lover chose revenge as fair recourse in exchange for his treatment, and is played with laser-focused anger by the excellent Marion Cotillard (Big Fish). The welder's wife is a surprisingly fluent French-speaking Jodie Foster, who happened to be in France while finishing up the Panic Room and offered the director her skills. She stands out as familiar to American audiences, but otherwise blends in fairly seamlessly with the French cast. Mathilde's hard working detective is played with great devotion by Ticky Holgado (Amelie, The City of Lost Children), who was undergoing treatment for lung cancer during the shoot and passed away shortly after the film's completion.
Mathilde is portrayed with fragile strength by Audrey Tautou (Amelie, Dirty Pretty Things). So much is revealed in a delicate look or seemingly simple action that she does not have to vocalize every emotion, yet every sentiment is felt whole-heartedly. In moments of desperation that others in her character's place would consider an end to the search, Mathilde's hope hinges on quick superstitious tests of faith. What would be merely a sweet gesture in any other movie becomes the lifeline that prevents her anchoring rope from becoming a noose.
Jeunet presents this very complicated and interwoven story as clearly as possible, without oversimplifying it and therefore diluting its richness. For Americans unfamiliar with the faces of these European actors, the soldiers' names are often mentioned together with their occupations and resident homelands in order to keep each of them straight to the audience. While discussing confusing plot turns, flashback images are presented in corners of the screen. Beautifully powerful music composed by frequent David Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti drives the scenes, as it did for Jeunet's The City of Lost Children. Amelie cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel helms the camera again for Jeunet, producing images of striking emotional depth.
This is a film with amazing resonance. Its statement on the horrors of war and its effect on the soldiers' homelands are clear. There is no pity given to the soldiers' lovers, only unquestionable strength and a powerful quest for the truth. Jeunet has created a film of immense depth and heartfelt love whose significance is timeless.
Extras on the first DVD include a trailer and a great director's commentary (subtitled in English) that helps to dissect and destroy the magic of the film, to paraphrase Jeunet. The second DVD includes deleted scenes with optional commentary, interviews, and featurettes on Paris in the 1920s and the Zeppelin explosion, along with a great making-of featurette.