War of the Buttons (2011)
"La nouvelle guerre des boutons" (original title)

In occupied France, Lebrac leads a play war between two rival kid gangs, but his feelings for Violette, a Jewish girl in danger of being discovered by the Nazis, encourage Lebrac to face the reality of what's happening around him.

Director:

Christophe Barratier

Writers:

Stéphane Keller (scenario), Christophe Barratier (scenario),

Stars:

Jean Texier, Ilona Bachelier, Laetitia Casta

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Texier	...	Lebrac
Clément Godefroy	...	Petit Gibus
Théophile Baquet	...	Grand Gibus
Louis Dussol	...	Bacaillé
Harold Werner	...	La Crique
Nathan Parent	...	Camus
Ilona Bachelier	...	Violette
Thomas Goldberg	...	L'Aztec
Laetitia Casta	...	Simone
Guillaume Canet	...	L'instituteur
Kad Merad	...	Le père Lebrac
Gérard Jugnot	...	Le père L'Aztec
Marie Bunel	...	La mère Lebrac
François Morel	...	Le père Bacaillé
Grégory Gatignol	...	Brochard

Storyline

In occupied France, Lebrac leads a play war between two rival kid gangs, but his feelings for Violette, a Jewish girl in danger of being discovered by the Nazis, encourage Lebrac to face the reality of what's happening around him.

---

Plot Keywords:

jewish girl | schoolgirl | german occupation | school | schoolboy | 

---

Taglines:

The French Resistance came in all shapes and sizes.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Family

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and some thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Mars Distribution [France] Official Facebook

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 September 2011 (France)

Also Known As:

Krieg der Knöpfe

Filming Locations:

Auvergne, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$4,737 (USA) (12 October 2012)

Gross:

$45,602 (USA) (2 November 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

La Petite Reine, TF1 Films Production, Studio 37

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of La guerre des gosses (1937)

User Reviews

1913-1961-1944

50 years after Yves Robert's famous version which was successful but was carefully kept "suitable for all audiences" and thus avoided Pergaud's Rabelaisian style .

Louis Pergaud is barely mentioned in the cast and credits ,the "screenwriters" taking the lion's share ;it must be said that the book has undergone lots of changes as Robert did in the early sixties:but whereas Robert transposed the action to his era,this new version chose the end of WW2,with its resistant fighters,the collaborators and traitors,the Jews protected by the Justs.It allows a parallel between the buttons war and the "real" war which is somewhat artificial though (who has not guessed the truth about the nice schoolteacher -played by talented Canet-? about Violette?)Pergaud's novel was written in 1913,and the writer died in the war that was about to break out.

The children remain true to form,particularly the young actor who plays Lebrac ,in love with Violette (who replaces the female character of the book ,La Marie-Tintin ,not always with good results : sometimes it flounders in the intellectual girl/boy dunce cliché ) who ,like Anne Frank ,writes a diary;Petit Gibus is funny ,although perhaps not as much as that of Yves Robert.

This is pleasant to watch ,but full of WW2 clichés and ,as far as the forthrightness of the language is concerned,not an improvement on its predecessor;I personally would take this black and white priceless early version any day.