The Officers'
Ward
(La Chambre des officiers)
A beautiful
and moving account of one man's struggle to come to terms with harsh mental
and physical injuries sustained during the first hours of World War I, Marc
Dugain based his award-winning novel, on which the film is based, on the experiences
of his grandfather in the First World War. French writer-director François
Dupeyron brought it to the screen last year.
It's a few months into the Great War and one of its first casualties, young
French lieutenant Adrien (Caravaca), lies alone in a Parisian hospital ward.
He has sustained extensive facial injuries, is unable to talk, unable to eat
and hasn't yet been allowed to look in a mirror. Visitors and hospital workers
alike flinch at his appearance. His only comfort is the maternal ministerings
of saintly nurse Anaïs (Azéma).
As Adrien undergoes operation after operation, and the physical and emotional scars slowly begin to heal, the ward becomes filled with other similarly scarred men, all fighting similar battles. He forges friendships with Pierre (Dérangère), a brash pilot with an eye for the ladies, and Henri (Podalydès), a gentle, religious Breton aristocrat. As the three most senior residents of the officers ward they cut fine, if unconventional, figures in the closed world of the hospital. The aim is to do the same on the outside, despite the everlasting mark the war has made on them.
Based on French author Marc Dugain's prize-winning novel of the same name, The Officers' Ward takes a hard look at an aspect of war that stands in stark comparison to beefed-up frontline tales such as Black Hawk Down. As in Regeneration, this war takes place far from enemy lines, within an isolated world of sickness (beautifully evoked in feverish tones by cinematographer Tetsuo Nagata, who won a César in 2002).
With intelligence, wit and humanity, writer-director Dupeyron evokes the huge task facing Adrien and his companions and the varying degrees of determination, bravado and sheer faith that it takes to pull themselves through. The central theme of disfigurement, a very literal translation of the destructive and corruptive force of war, is well handled, evoking empathy without sensationalism. Likewise, the human-scale heroism of men like Adrien is suggested in subtle terms, without cloying sentiment, and is nicely balanced by a strong helping of gallows humour banter between the three excellent leading men.
This is
a sublime exploration of the triumphant and enduring human spirit midst the
dehumanising horrors of war, beautifully shot, brilliantly played, and utterly
moving and thought-provoking.
Based on a review from FilmFour.
It accomplishes the considerable
feat of being both harrowing and tender. It spares us the sight, but transmits
the pain. It's a small miracle of a film, totally sure of its subject: which
is rehabilitation of flesh and spirit. Trust me, you will be moved.When we saw
that scene at Cannes (Adrien in the Métro, amusing the child) the entire
audience exploded in applause, the way they used to do before cynicism made
people mistrust the power of cinema to move us deeply and honestly. The Officers
Ward does both. Anti-war, yes: but, more importantly and poignantly, pro-life.
Alexander Walker (Evening Standard).
Intense et chargé d'émotion, au delà de la dénonciation
et de l'absurdité de la guerre, ce film est aussi une belle leçon
de courage, d'humanisme et d'optimisme.
Cinopsis
This drama about a young French soldier horrifically wounded in the first world
war is a gem of a movie by any standards, and compared to recent Anglophone
attempts to show the emotional history of war - the bombastic silliness of Charlotte
Gray, for example - it shines like a star. François Dupeyron's movie
is superbly furnished, passionately acted, and exquisitely photographed and
lit... This is a richly emotional and deeply considered film. No one with an
interest in the Great War should miss it.
P Bradshaw (The Guardian).
Without a single fanfare, writer/director Francois Dupeyron has made a film
of epic proportions. What begins as a love story and a war movie continues as
something more uplifting than you could possibly imagine... Above all, it is
a beautiful-looking picture, which, in the circumstances, seems ironic... The
integrity of Depeyron's direction, which avoids the grotesque in favour of the
human spirit, is matched by an imaginative and unexpected use of the camera.
The film's two-and-a-quarter hours fly past, enriched by unforgettable imagery.
iofilm
All Quiet On The Western Front, Paths Of Glory and La Grande Illusion remain
the benchmarks for films exploring the experience and legacy of the First World
War but La Chambre Des Officiers makes its own distinctive contribution by moving
away from the trenches...
Allan Hunter, Screen International