This is the second of two very long French films about De Gaulle and WW2. I have not seen the first part but after seeing the second, doubt I will bother. Covering the later years of WW2, from 1943 through to post the liberation of France, at nearly 3 hours it is a long slog. I did not recognise too many of the French actors though the De Gaulle and General Leclerc characters look like the characters they are portraying. Simon Russell Beale certainly captures a very curmudgeonly Churchill who treads the middle ground between trying to control De Gaulle and the USA, who do not trust De Gaulle and have designs on putting parts of Northern France under US administration after liberation. The story of how de Gaulle as leader of the Free French had to battle endlessly for France's corner from a position of weakness while the USA leaned towards Petainist supporters who in De Gaulle's eyes were traitors, is the main theme of the film. Sadly the producers also want a WW2 action film, so the film flits endlessly between war action sequences in North Africa and depicting the French underground resistance who report to De Gaulle, trying to negotiate unity between the communists and political parties. The De Gaulle scenes that fill up the rest of the film end up being repetitious as his stubbornness to comprise is tested yet again. Given the central themes of the film I found it ironic that the most famous images of De Gaulle as liberator arriving and walking through a newly freed Paris in 1944 are finally not shown in the movie.

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Film Reviews 2026	11/01/26 16:48:00	Susan Kelly
Hamnet	11/01/26 16:53:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Hamnet	11/01/26 22:31:00	Sara Nathan
The voice of Hind Rajab (Arabic with subtitles)	11/01/26 22:33:00	Sara Nathan
No Other Choice (Korean with subtitles)	17/01/26 09:16:00	Sara Nathan
Re:No Other Choice (Korean with subtitles)	25/01/26 16:41:00	Susan Kelly
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple	18/01/26 13:47:00	Susan Kelly
Nouvelle Vague	01/02/26 14:31:00	Susan Kelly
If I had legs I’d kick you	01/02/26 20:49:00	Sara Nathan
Re:If I had legs I’d kick you	25/02/26 17:56:00	Susan Kelly
F1	02/02/26 22:13:00	Sara Nathan
My Father's Shadow	10/02/26 17:30:00	Susan Kelly
Hamlet (not Hamnet)	12/02/26 17:03:00	Susan Kelly
The Secret Agent	24/02/26 17:21:00	Susan Kelly
The President's Cake	26/02/26 17:06:00	Susan Kelly
Sirat	03/03/26 16:43:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Sirat	10/03/26 11:33:00	Michael Robinson
Re:Re:Sirat	06/04/26 21:07:00	Sara Nathan
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man	15/03/26 15:16:00	Susan Kelly
Mr Nobody against Putin (Russian with subtitles)	19/03/26 21:48:00	Sara Nathan
Good Boy	24/03/26 15:40:00	Susan Kelly
Everybody down to Kenmure Street	26/03/26 20:43:00	Sara Nathan
Midwinter Break	31/03/26 17:21:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Midwinter Break	31/03/26 18:49:00	Chris Hurley
The Love That Remains	04/04/26 17:47:00	Susan Kelly
The Drama	05/04/26 14:32:00	Susan Kelly
Re:The Drama	06/04/26 21:03:00	Sara Nathan
Amelie (French with subtitles)	06/04/26 07:26:00	Sara Nathan
Father Mother Sister Brother	11/04/26 15:21:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Father Mother Sister Brother	14/04/26 20:57:00	Sara Nathan
The Stranger (French with subtitles)	14/04/26 10:02:00	Sara Nathan
Re:The Stranger (French with subtitles)	14/04/26 17:29:00	Susan Kelly
ActOne 100 club	14/04/26 10:07:00	Sara Nathan
Colours in Time	18/04/26 15:54:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Colours in Time	20/04/26 19:44:00	Sara Nathan
Rebuilding	19/04/26 17:38:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Rebuilding	28/04/26 22:32:00	Sara Nathan
DJ Ahmet	21/04/26 15:17:00	Susan Kelly
Re: La Grazia	25/04/26 12:53:00	Joe Conneely
Rose of Nevada	26/04/26 15:02:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Rose of Nevada	29/04/26 09:46:00	Mike Robinson
Re:Rose of Nevada	30/04/26 23:31:00	Sara Nathan
Primavera (Italian with subtitles)	28/04/26 22:45:00	Sara Nathan
Re:Primavera (Italian with subtitles)	29/04/26 11:10:00	Joe Conneely
Re:Primavera (Italian with subtitles)	29/04/26 17:27:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Re:Primavera (Italian with subtitles)	03/05/26 21:38:00	Joe Conneely
The Sheep Detectives	03/05/26 14:01:00	Susan Kelly
Mother Mary	03/05/26 21:29:00	Joe Conneely
La Boheme	06/05/26 08:58:00	Sara Nathan
The Blue Trail	06/05/26 15:06:00	Susan Kelly
The Devil Wears Prada 2	06/05/26 21:53:00	Sara Nathan
Romeria	12/05/26 15:05:00	Susan Kelly
The Christophers	16/05/26 23:09:00	Sara Nathan
Re:The Christophers	18/05/26 17:52:00	Susan Kelly
Normal	17/05/26 14:12:00	Susan Kelly
Tuner	31/05/26 14:12:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Tuner	21/06/26 00:06:00	Sara Nathan
Power Ballad	02/06/26 17:47:00	Susan Kelly
The Sheep Detectives	06/06/26 19:38:00	Sara Nathan
Savage House	13/06/26 17:54:00	Susan Kelly
Night & Day	20/06/26 16:55:00	Susan Kelly
Enzo	21/06/26 14:56:00	Susan Kelly
Blue Heron	28/06/26 15:25:00	Susan Kelly
A Private Life	29/06/26 18:43:00	Susan Kelly
The Invite	04/07/26 17:43:00	Susan Kelly
The Last One for the Road	16/07/26 16:08:00	Susan Kelly
Re:The Last One for the Road (Italian with subtitles)	22/07/26 23:01:00	Sara Nathan
The Odyssey	22/07/26 23:10:00	Sara Nathan
Re:The Odyssey	26/07/26 16:19:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Re:The Odyssey	03/09/26 15:55:00	Joe Conneely
Ish	02/08/26 17:10:00	Susan Kelly
Moana	14/08/26 15:54:00	Sara Nathan
Bitter Christmas (Spanish with sub-titles)	17/08/26 21:52:00	Sara Nathan
Re:Bitter Christmas (Spanish with sub-titles)	29/08/26 16:08:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Re:Bitter Christmas (Spanish with sub-titles)	01/09/26 12:00:00	Maire Lowe
Re:Re:Re:Bitter Christmas (Spanish with sub-titles)	10/09/26 21:00:00	Sandra Jones
& Sons	22/08/26 16:17:00	Susan Kelly
The Dog Stars	30/08/26 15:19:00	Susan Kelly
Tony	02/09/26 23:05:00	Sara Nathan
Re:Tony	03/09/26 16:29:00	Joe Conneely
The Death of Robin Hood	05/09/26 16:25:00	Susan Kelly
I Want Your Sex	06/09/26 19:43:00	Susan Kelly
Lady	12/09/26 15:53:00	Susan Kelly
Pressure	13/09/26 15:26:00	Susan Kelly
Re:Pressure	21/09/26 16:10:00	Maire Lowe
Bad Apples	19/09/26 15:24:00	Susan Kelly
Juste Une Illusion	20/09/26 18:16:00	Susan Kelly
De Gaulle - Liberte	21/09/26 15:34:00	Joe Conneely
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma	21/09/26 16:29:00	Joe Conneely

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