320. The Guardians (Les gardiennes); movie review

THE GUARDIANS (LES GARDIENNES)
Cert 15
135 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong violence

There have been many films about the First World War and, one hundred years on, it has been right that we have been commemorating the sacrifice of those at the front.
But I cannot recall seeing a movie which focuses almost entirely on those who were left at home.
Xavier Beavois' The Guardians captures life in a French village which is only connected with the war  through the men who have gone to fight and may not return.
It is almost inconceivable that the beautiful backdrop could be in the same country in which hundreds of thousands of men are dying horrible deaths.
The Guardians stars Iris Bry as Francine - a young woman who is hired by the matriarch (Nathalie Baye) of a large farm.
Francine becomes a revelation, working harder than any man and adept at taking on any task diligently and without complaint.
As Baye's character, Hortense, says: "she is worth her weight in gold."
However, when Francine falls for Hortense's soldier son Georges (Cyril Descours) different emotions come into play.
The Guardians is a drama without the usual screaming and shouting.
Francine is quiet but loving and Hortense is gritty but secretly Machiavellian. Nevertheless, both women grip the audience in their own ways.
Meanwhile, Beauvois reminds us how the women picked up the home baton during war. Indeed, men became uneasy at how adept they were at the hardest of jobs
The Guardians also shows how love, mistrust and betrayal can all be the fall-out of a conflict which leaves people not being able to think straight.
And, of course, there is the impact of death and grief.
On the surface, it is a simple movie but beneath the ripples, there is a complex maelstrom of emotion.
Its performances, especially those of Bry and Baye, are first class.

Reasons to watch: An unusual but enthralling take on the First World War
Reasons to avoid: Might be a bit laboured for some

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Very briefly
Overall rating: 8/10

Director quote - Xavier Beauvois: "It’s a film where the women are the guardians—not only in the countryside and rural areas, but also in the cities—and are for the first time running trains, working in factories, making tons of ammunition for guns."

The big question - How did women garner such strength when faced with the fall-out of war?

Share this post