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Poster for La France

La France

2007 · 1h 42m Drama
Directed by Serge Bozon

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Overview

During the First World War, Camille (Sylvie Testud), a young woman whose husband is away fighting at the front, receives a short letter of break-up from him. Distraught, she decides to go to join him, but is driven back by the rule of the time which forbids women to move around alone. She has no other recourse than to dress herself up as a man so as to be able to take to the road on foot. As she lives near the Western Fromt she hooks up with a passing group of French soldiers without too much trouble. But there's something a bit odd about these stragglers, and it's not just their habit of bursting into song at every opportunity.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
92%
Tomatometer
Rotten

You might want to file this one under Novelties and Cult Items, Not Completely Baked.

John Hartl, Seattle Times
Fresh

In the once-upon-a-time fairy tale called La France, French soldiers move through darkly verdant landscapes worthy of Henri Rousseau.

Manohla Dargis, New York Times
Fresh

Without ever surrendering its deadpan naturalism, La France becomes increasingly poetic: The seasons change, the landscape grows barren, and the stars in the sky take their names from the dead men below.

J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Fresh

A drama about the horrors, loneliness and camaraderie of World War I that intermittently (four times, to be specific) blooms into a delirious musical.

Melissa Anderson, Time Out New York

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