Au coeur de la vie (1963)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Robert Enrico

Writers:

Ambrose Bierce (story)
Robert Enrico (writer)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

This Civil War anthology adapts three Ambrose Bierce stories "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," "Chickamauga" and "The Mockingbird." |

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Foreign Language Adaptation | American Civil War | Witness | War Atrocity

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Roger Jacquet	...	Peyton Farquhar (segment "Rivière du hibou, La")
Anne Cornaly	...	Mrs. Farquhar (segment "Rivière du hibou, La")
Stéphane Fey	...	Union Officer (segment "Rivière du hibou, La") / Pvt Greyrock (segment "L'oiseau moqueur")
Pierre Boffety	...	Johny (segment "Chickamauga") (as Le Petit Pillou)
Frédérique Ruchaud	...	Johny's Mother (segment "Chickamauga")
François Frankiel	...	Pvt John Greyrock (segment "L'oiseau moqueur")
Eric Frankiel	...	Pvt Willian Greyrock (segment "L'oiseau moqueur")
Jean Mauvais
Fred Lissou
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edwine Moatti

Also Known As:

In the Midst of Life (International: English title)

Runtime:

Germany:95 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Franco London Films

Trivia:

This feature was a selection of the first New York Film Festival (1964).

Movie Connections:

Edited from Chickamauga (1962)

The Civil War as seen by a Frenchman

Ambrose Bierce is a writer unknown to me, but the film that Robert Enrico has fashioned out of three Bierce stories has great power. The terrors of war are recreated here with great artistry by Enrico and his excellent cinematographer Jean Boffety (they made many films together). The sunlight cascading through dense foliage has rarely been so well caught in a movie.

I found the final story La Riviere du hibou (An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is the English title) to be almost unbearable in its emotional power. The hanging party is set up with great attention to detail--the condemned man notes at one point that sharpshooters always have grey eyes like those of the man who's aiming at him--and the effect is stunning. This film must be issued on DVD.