Officer's Ward
2001
THE OFFICER'S WARD, a masterful adaptation by director Francois Dupeyron of the novel by Marc Dugain, is set in Paris during World War I. Adrien (Eric Caravaca) is a youthful engineer with his whole life ahead of him who waits anxiously for the war to begin. He watches soldiers leaving on trains for the front line, and is .. Read more
| Starring | Denis Podalydes, Eric Caravaca, Sabine Azema, Isabelle Renauld |
|---|---|
| Director | Francois Dupeyron |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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Adapted from the novel by Marc Dugain, this is a sensitive yet unflinching examination of human indomitability. At the outset of the First World War, Eric Caravaca is hideously disfigured by a bomb blast to the face and spends the rest of the war in a Parisian hospital where he undergoes painful and primitive reconstructive surgery. The extent of Caravaca's disfigurement is not revealed for nearly an hour, so the reaction he elicits on the faces of the hospital staff is our only source for the severity of his plight. By refusing to capitalise on the visual horror of the officers' injuries, director François Dupeyron lends dignity to both their determination and despair, and thus ensures more than knee-jerk pity from the audience. Moreover, it enables those caring for the soldiers — including the ever-cheerful surgeon André Dussolier and maternal nurse Sabine Azéma — to share in their quiet courage. Though unnecessarily trite in its optimistic resolution, this is both an affecting condemnation of warfare and a powerful tribute to the human spirit.
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"...An admirably sensitive and quietly moving drama....[The] score heightens the poignancy of the impressive ensemble performances. Captivating..."
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Old-fashioned humanism, certainly, but none the less appealing for all that, Dupeyron's Great War drama (from a novel... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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13 out of 13 people found this review helpful
Stunning...
Soldiers have to come to terms with horrific facial injuries in a hospital ward during World War I. Beautifully shot and scripted with incredibly moving performances from all concerned. Not for the faint hearted or those needing cheering up, but an extremely satisfying experience for those who give this film a try.
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
A film that grew in stature
15 minutes of activity at the start which leads to nearly 2 hours stuck in a hospital and you dont even get to see the main actor for a lot of the film. I'd have said give this a miss but no. Absolutely enthralling , well filmed as many French films are, good acting, great story and heart rending.
Definately worth a try. -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Hollywood-free view of war
Powerful and sophisticated film. Subject matter is obviously serious, slow moving, and perhaps not for the squeamish. But it succeeds in portraying heroism and humanity in unglamourous circumstances and without melodrama. Also well dealt with is the prospect, fear, and realities of rejection. The message is not too difficult, but still effective. - In one way, however, the film pulls its punches: if that was life for the officers, how much worse was it for the 'ordinary' soldiers?
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
A film that grew in stature
15 minutes of activity at the start which leads to nearly 2 hours stuck in a hospital and you dont even get to see the main actor for a lot of the film. I'd have said give this a miss but no. Absolutely enthralling , well filmed as many French films are, good acting, great story and heart rending.
Definately worth a try. -
Melancony
This tale manages to be quite funny in the midst of all the saddness. It brings the physical and psychological suffering of soldiers from the WWI in close perspective without loosing its touching homour.
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13 out of 13 people found this review helpful
Stunning...
Soldiers have to come to terms with horrific facial injuries in a hospital ward during World War I. Beautifully shot and scripted with incredibly moving performances from all concerned. Not for the faint hearted or those needing cheering up, but an extremely satisfying experience for those who give this film a try.
-
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
A film that grew in stature
15 minutes of activity at the start which leads to nearly 2 hours stuck in a hospital and you dont even get to see the main actor for a lot of the film. I'd have said give this a miss but no. Absolutely enthralling , well filmed as many French films are, good acting, great story and heart rending.
Definately worth a try. -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Hollywood-free view of war
Powerful and sophisticated film. Subject matter is obviously serious, slow moving, and perhaps not for the squeamish. But it succeeds in portraying heroism and humanity in unglamourous circumstances and without melodrama. Also well dealt with is the prospect, fear, and realities of rejection. The message is not too difficult, but still effective. - In one way, however, the film pulls its punches: if that was life for the officers, how much worse was it for the 'ordinary' soldiers?
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Officer's Ward (2001)
Dificult to fault. I thought this film was dilivered brilliantly. Not to be watched if you are feeling down, it's not meant to uplift your spirits.
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Melancony
This tale manages to be quite funny in the midst of all the saddness. It brings the physical and psychological suffering of soldiers from the WWI in close perspective without loosing its touching homour.
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not bad
this film is not bad very good acting
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Officer's Ward
This film is not for the faint hearted. The subject matter is obviously dark, a man is injured at the beginning of the great war, so early that he is even spared the horrors of the trenches, and without even seeing a German. Realistic to the core, right down the beautifully impractical French army uniforms(blue with bright red trousers). When we leave the front, we are treated with a spectacular shot of the road, with soldiers marching to war, beside ambulances taking wounded back. After that, we do not see the main character for a long period, and not seeing his injuries, only others reaction to it.
Its a painful watch however. I'm not one for crying at films, but I was crying like a baby at some of it. There's so much horror, but they survive, and similarly inspires us to survive. -
Great acting but...
... a little to unbelieveable for me. A man meets a random woman at a train station, they get it on, he gets injured on Day One of the war and is carted off to a hospital. The film was more about how a group of men learn to deal with their disfigured bodies than anything else. Worth a look but not entirely convincing plot.
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0 out of 4 people found this review helpful
NOT ALL IT WAS CRACKED UP TO BE
Sorry, but this got to be very much on the tedious side after a while. The story was good and the cinematography excellent, it keeps a brooding brown hue throughout the film. But at the end of the day there just wasn't enough going on. I really tried to like this film, I am a big fan of French cinema, but I just couldn't.
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1 out of 6 people found this review helpful
good movie...
a movie that makes you understand how terrible WWI was, and how to cope with its consequences. They were young and handsome, now, what's left?
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Critics' reviews (4)
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Adapted from the novel by Marc Dugain, this is a sensitive yet unflinching examination of human indomitability. At the outset of the First World War, Eric Caravaca is hideously disfigured by a bomb blast to the face and spends the rest of the war in a Parisian hospital where he undergoes painful and primitive reconstructive surgery. The extent of Caravaca's disfigurement is not revealed for nearly an hour, so the reaction he elicits on the faces of the hospital staff is our only source for the severity of his plight. By refusing to capitalise on the visual horror of the officers' injuries, director François Dupeyron lends dignity to both their determination and despair, and thus ensures more than knee-jerk pity from the audience. Moreover, it enables those caring for the soldiers — including the ever-cheerful surgeon André Dussolier and maternal nurse Sabine Azéma — to share in their quiet courage. Though unnecessarily trite in its optimistic resolution, this is both an affecting condemnation of warfare and a powerful tribute to the human spirit.
-
"...An admirably sensitive and quietly moving drama....[The] score heightens the poignancy of the impressive ensemble performances. Captivating..."
-
Old-fashioned humanism, certainly, but none the less appealing for all that, Dupeyron's Great War drama (from a novel... read more on Time Out
-
"...It's a testament to Dupeyron's skill that matters never seem stagy or claustrophobic..."
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THE OFFICER'S WARD, a masterful adaptation by director Francois Dupeyron of the novel by Marc Dugain, is set in Paris during World War I. Adrien (Eric Caravaca) is a youthful engineer with his whole ... -
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