The Soldiers (1963)
"Les carabiniers" (original title)

During a war in an imaginary country, unscrupulous soldiers recruit poor farmers with promises of an easy and happy life. Two of these farmers write to their wives of their exploits.

Director:

Jean-Luc Godard

Writers:

Jean-Luc Godard, Jean Gruault,

Stars:

Marino Masé, Patrice Moullet, Geneviève Galéa

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marino Masé	...	Ulysses (as Marino Mase)
Patrice Moullet	...	Michel-Ange (as Albert Juross)
Geneviève Galéa	...	Venus
Catherine Ribeiro	...	Cleopatre
Barbet Schroeder	...	Car salesman
Jean-Louis Comolli	...	Soldier with fish
Gérard Poirot	...	Carabinier #1
Jean Brassat	...	Carabinier #2
Alvaro Gheri	...	Carabinier #3
Odile Geoffroy	...	Young Communist girl

Storyline

During a war, the poor and ignorant brothers Ulysses and Michel-Ange are lured and recruited by two soldiers that promise wealth to them in the name of their King. The greedy wife of Ulysses Cleopatre and her daughter Venus ask them to enlist to pursue fortune. They travel to Italy and become unscrupulous criminals of war. When Ulysses is wounded in one eye, he returns home with Michel-Ange and a small bag full of postcards of famous locations and the promise that they would be entitled of the properties in the end of the war. However, when the King signs the peace treaty with their enemy, they find that the agreement was actually surrender and they have a prize to pay for their actions.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | box office flop | anti war | war crime | firing squad | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

27 September 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los carabineros

Filming Locations:

Rungis, Val-de-Marne, France

Box Office

Budget:

$140,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cocinor, Les Films Marceau, Rome Paris Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[last lines]
Narrator: Henceforth the two brothers slept for an eternity, believing the brain, in decay, functioned beyond death, and its dreams are what constitute Paradise.

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Connections

Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989)

User Reviews

Perfect

Jean Rouch has called this movie, the best anti war movie ever. He points out that the anti-epic character of the movie comes most close to the character of war, because war also works really anti-epic, too. So I really can't understand why the first comment to this movie on this page, which is really foolish and just shows that its writer has no idea of movies at all, isn't removed!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It insults the work of a genius.