Life and Nothing But

Life and Nothing But

1989 · 135 min · FR · 7.2 (73 votes)
Dir. Bertrand Tavernier · Starring Philippe Noiret, Sabine Azéma, Pascale Vignal, Maurice Barrier, François Perrot, Jean-Pol Dubois · Music Oswald d'Andréa
WarDrama

January, 1920. 350,000 French soldiers remain missing in action. Major Dellaplane tirelessly matches the dead and the wounded with families' descriptions. Honor and ethics drive him; he hates the idea of "the unknown soldier." Into his sector, looking for her husband, comes a haughty, politically connected Parisian, Madame Irène de Courtil. Brusquely, Dellaplane offers her 1/350,000th of his time, but as their paths cross and she sees his courage and resolve, feelings change. After he finds a surprising connection between her missing husband and a local teacher, Irène makes Dellaplane an offer. This man of action hesitates: has he missed his only chance?

VIBE

A quiet, devastating reflection on the lingering scars of war. It feels like sifting through the ashes of history, finding small, human moments amidst overwhelming loss. A somber, contemplative experience that lingers long after the credits.

sombermelancholicintrospectivepoignantslow-burnperiod dramaarthouserealisticcharacter-drivengrieflossdutymemoryhumanity
post world war ianti warmissing in action1920s
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