Capitaine Conan

Set during and immediately after World War I, this rugged French drama is about its title character, Conan (played with astonishing physical force by Philippe Torreton, who won France's Best Actor award in 1996 for this film; Bertrand Tavernier was likewise voted Best Director), the imposing leader of a group of renegade French soldiers fighting in the Balkans. Their job is to get in, slaughter everybody in sight without a second thought or glance, and get the hell out, and they're rewarded for their recklessness and lack of scruples with extra pay and extra rations. Accustomed to breaking the rules, they carry their ruthless brutality into 'civilian' life, with unfortunate results. This fairly typical 'war is hell' movie is distinguished by some of the most disconcerting and chaotic battle scenes ever filmed; Tavernier, like Oliver Stone in Platoon, shoots and edits the action in helter-skelter, unexpected ways that seem to truly convey a sense of how combat is experienced by the foot soldier. Unlike most war stories, however, it's also a fine character study; you're never entirely certain whether you ought to admire Conan or despise him--he exhibits both heroic and homicidal tendencies, often simultaneously. Recommended. (M. D'Angelo)