La vie et rien d'autre (1989)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Bertrand Tavernier

Writers:

Jean Cosmos (scenario & adaptation) &
Bertrand Tavernier (scenario & adaptation) ...

Release Date:

6 September 1989 (France)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Un monument!

Plot:

Intense character study of men and women driven by an overpowering obsession with the past.

Plot Keywords:

Missing In Action | Unknown Soldier | 1920s | French Soldier | French Army

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 7 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Philippe Noiret	...	Major Delaplane
Sabine Azéma	...	Irène de Courtil
Pascale Vignal	...	Alice
Maurice Barrier	...	Mercadot
François Perrot	...	Perrin
Jean-Pol Dubois	...	André
Daniel Russo	...	Lieutenant Trévise
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Général Villerieux
Arlette Gilbert	...	Valentine
Louis Lyonnet	...	Valentin
Charlotte Maury-Sentier	...	Cora Mabel (as Charlotte Maury)
François Caron	...	Julien
Thierry Gimenez	...	L'adjudant du génie
Frédérique Meininger	...	Madame Lebègue
Pierre Trabaud	...	Eugene Dilatoire

Also Known As:

Life and Nothing But (International: English title)

Runtime:

USA:135 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Germany:12

Company:

Hachette Première

Quotes:

Major Dellaplane: All antelopes are beautiful. You know why? Because they're scared. Their eyes are black and they're scared. They're right to be. The world is full of jaws.

Very good but probably not a film that most younger people would appreciate

I was fascinated by this film--probably because I am a history teacher and teach about WWI (among other topics). But I wonder if most other people would really care about the plot. You see, it's about the aftermath of WWI and the setting concerns soldiers sifting through the French countryside trying to find and identify all the bodies. The officer in charge is a bit fixated on all this and into his obsessive little world come two ladies who are looking for a husband and a fiancé who have been missing since 1917. The attention to details in the film is interesting and there are many little touches that make it a must see for history lovers. However, I must also point out that for me, the relationships that develop and unfold during the movie don't always work all that well. Plus, another recent French film dealing with the same topic (A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT) is a vastly superior film. It would be great if you could see them both, but if you only want to see one film, see A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT--it's better in most every way.