Capitaine Conan

In the aftermath of World War Ι, the hardened and respected Captain Conan (Philippe Torreton) remains in the Balkans with his group of roughneck soldiers. They have yet to return home as a new battle threatens, this time with the Bolsheviks. However, as horrific as the violence of war may be, the boredom of not fighting proves even more dangerous for these men. As French soldiers start wreaking havoc in East Europe, Lieutenant Norbert (Samuel Le Bihan), Conan’s close friend, is sent to bring the perpetrators to justice, pitting the two friends against each other.

Bertrand Tavernier’s war opus is an unconventional and compelling insight into the genre. Displaying the heroism and villainy, the sacrifices and infamy of war in direct confrontation and often within the same characters, Tavernier proffers his anti-war message in consideration of the experiences of those who are both victims and instigators of it. Torreton and Le Bihan deliver top drawer performances as the fractured friends trying to reconcile their varying methods of warfare and they are ably supported by Bernard Le Coq as De Sève, the aristocrat turned foot soldier.

Tavernier’s assured direction brings together a complex story with an engrossing mise-en-scène and handheld camerawork. At the pinnacle of his career, the film earned the distinguished director numerous warranted awards, including the César for best director.