A Very Long Engagement

A Very Long Engagment is the story of Mathilde, who's fiance, Manech, died in World War I.  Two years after the fact, she is informed that he was executed for self mutilation, along with four other men (each of them having destroyed one of his hands in order to be invalidated out of the army), by being thrown into the no-mans land between a French and a German trench.

I don't usually like war films.  I have a weak stomach, and seeing people blown up isn't my idea of fun.  Despite all this, 'A Very Long Engagement' is an amazing film.  The opening scenes of the war and the self mutilations committed by the various soldiers are horrendous (I have to look away every time), but deftly handled.  They are especially effective, in that at least one of the soldiers loses his mind completely in the violence of the war, and the others do not nurture fond memories.  The violence is not meant to be enjoyed for what it is, as in some gory horror films; it is meant to shock and dismay, to bring a sense of real despair to the film. 

The emotional parts of the film are handled just as well.  The actors all give stunning performances, and the expressions and vocal intonations are spot on.  The tension as Mathilde searches for Manech, and for the soldier who may or may not have survived the execution is heartrending.  I cry at the ending every single time.

Another good thing about this film is its loyalty to the book.  I'm very fussy about that (the written word being my first love) and out of all books->film conversions I've seen, this one beats the lot.

The only thing I can find wrong with this film is that some people may find it too emotional, while others find it too violent.  The fact that it's in French could be a problem for those who dislike reading subtitles.  And the fact that it's French means you wouldn't want to watch it in front of your parents.  Still, definitely worth a look.