May contain mild plot spoilers. 'Les Croix de Bois' was made in 1932 by Raymond Bernard who had an eye for the epic going on to make 'Les Miserables' two years later. We start at the beginning of that terrible conflict that was 'The Great War' and see the exuberance of a nation going to fight the old foe - Germany. Then to the front line where all the classes are thrown into the mix. The main protagonists here are a baker, a worker and a law student – the 'Marne retreat' has just taken place and there is a feeling that the war might soon be over.
Then the men move to the front and the horrors of war start to become more defined. The pointless and suicidal patrols, the laying of underground tunnels to lay mines under their positions and the digging of them like a metronome of doom that becomes instantly more scary when it stops. The camaraderie that barely forms a veneer of hope over the ever present fear that lies beneath. The dirt, the; lice and the bad leaders are all here. We also get to go on leave with the men and the temporary respite found in song or wine or the eagerly awaited letters from home that bring as much joy as they can do heart ache.
There are so many memorable scenes here and it has a realism that belies the time at which it was made, using camera techniques and light to paint a picture that is both beautiful in the detail and filthy with horror as to what is actually taking place. One scene that stands out is a scene of a church service where a lone soldier sings a beautiful 'Ava Maria' as the camera hangs over the makeshift field hospital next door with the terrible wounded, the amputees and the dying all seeming to accept their fate.
There are nods to 'All Quiet on the Western Front' here too which may have been inevitable where both films are essentially dealing with the utter futility and waste of war. I read that when this was shown on television in 1962 that a veteran of the War was so moved that he took his own life – a truly sad tale. This is one of those films that people ought to see and probably one that should be better remembered, it has been restored but the quality does vary in places. That said the one thing that has stayed intact down all these years is the powerful message and the strength of the story, the acting, the cinematography and the vision that brought this to the screen – absolutely recommended.
Then the men move to the front and the horrors of war start to become more defined. The pointless and suicidal patrols, the laying of underground tunnels to lay mines under their positions and the digging of them like a metronome of doom that becomes instantly more scary when it stops. The camaraderie that barely forms a veneer of hope over the ever present fear that lies beneath. The dirt, the; lice and the bad leaders are all here. We also get to go on leave with the men and the temporary respite found in song or wine or the eagerly awaited letters from home that bring as much joy as they can do heart ache.
There are so many memorable scenes here and it has a realism that belies the time at which it was made, using camera techniques and light to paint a picture that is both beautiful in the detail and filthy with horror as to what is actually taking place. One scene that stands out is a scene of a church service where a lone soldier sings a beautiful 'Ava Maria' as the camera hangs over the makeshift field hospital next door with the terrible wounded, the amputees and the dying all seeming to accept their fate.
There are nods to 'All Quiet on the Western Front' here too which may have been inevitable where both films are essentially dealing with the utter futility and waste of war. I read that when this was shown on television in 1962 that a veteran of the War was so moved that he took his own life – a truly sad tale. This is one of those films that people ought to see and probably one that should be better remembered, it has been restored but the quality does vary in places. That said the one thing that has stayed intact down all these years is the powerful message and the strength of the story, the acting, the cinematography and the vision that brought this to the screen – absolutely recommended.