"Bout-de-Zan Et L'Embusqué" ( Bout de Zan And The Shirker ) (1915) is a French film ( nobody is perfect ) directed by the famous director Herr Louis Feuillade and part of a long series of short comedies directed by Feuillade featuring child star Bout de Zan ( Herr René Poyen ). This brief film is very funny and well paced but also contains a bit of propaganda that may be a bit shocking in these politically correct days.
The film depicts how Herr Marius Superbore, during wartime on a peaceful afternoon, bores Bout de Zan's uncles with unbelievable hunting stories; Herr Superbore appears with a rabbit saying that he shot him right between the eyes from a distance of five hundred feet. Obviously nobody believes him so he decides to demonstrate his abilities during the next day in his house and in front of Bout de Zan's uncles betting that he will shoot a bird the size of his thumb at five hundred feet. It's actually a trick and Bout de Zan exposes it and makes a fool of him.
Once Herr Superbore is unmasked, Bout de Zan tells him in a note: "Since you're such a good shot, instead of telling jokes why don't you do like my dad and go to the front to kill some Krauts". This is not a harmless comment and typical of the propaganda of the times, shamelessly using the little boy as a spokesperson for French patriotism.
Fortunately today things have changed and Germans bear them no malice; after all Teutons finally achieved their old intention of ruling Europe thanks to a peaceful and polite policy
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count has to attend a meeting of the German/French friendship club.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com
