The Officer's Ward (2001)
"La chambre des officiers" (original title)

The first days of WWI. Adrien, a young and handsome lieutenant, is wounded by a piece of shrapnel. He will spend the entire wartime at the Val-de-Grâce Hospital, in Paris. Five long years, ... See full summary »

Director:

François Dupeyron

Writers:

Marc Dugain (novel), François Dupeyron

Stars:

Eric Caravaca, Denis Podalydès, Grégori Derangère

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eric Caravaca	...	Adrien
Denis Podalydès	...	Henri
Grégori Derangère	...	Pierre
Sabine Azéma	...	Anaïs
André Dussollier	...	The surgeon
Isabelle Renauld	...	Marguerite
Géraldine Pailhas	...	Clémence
Jean-Michel Portal	...	Alain
Guy Tréjan	...	The minister
Xavier De Guillebon	...	Louis
Catherine Arditi	...	Adrien's mother
Paul Le Person	...	Adrien's grandfather
Circé Lethem	...	Adrien's sister
Elise Tielrooy	...	Nurse Cécile
Agathe Dronne	...	Adrien's future wife

Storyline

The first days of WWI. Adrien, a young and handsome lieutenant, is wounded by a piece of shrapnel. He will spend the entire wartime at the Val-de-Grâce Hospital, in Paris. Five long years, and his life will change forever...

---

Plot Keywords:

hospital | desperation | paris france | chalkboard | soldier | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

---

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

26 September 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

The Officer's Ward

Box Office

Budget:

FRF 48,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$998,447 (France) (28 September 2001)

Gross:

$998,447 (France) (28 September 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

ARP Sélection, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Adrien is passing through the village there is a British 18-pounder field gun visible in the background. The British were not involved in the fighting yet at this stage. The French relied almost exclusively on their "75s" and almost certainly did not use British guns.

User Reviews

Quite a tearjerker!

This is an intensely moving film which tells the story of a young soldier whose face is terribly disfigured during WW1. In hospital, he meets and befriends several other individuals who have suffered the same fate and the film concentrates on the way that they each come to terms with their situation. The first 40 minutes or so is very slow, so if you start to watch it, please don't be put off... stick with it, the rewards are there. Anyone who is not moved by this must have a heart of stone, since the performances are first rate at every level and there are many touching moments throughout the film. You might think that the subject matter is somewhat depressing and indeed, at some points, it is. However, what comes out is that the strength of the human spirit can carry individuals through the most horrendous experiences and as the film reaches its conclusion, it is ultimately uplifting. Any person who appreciates films of high quality will thoroughly enjoy this.