Tavernier’s film is set in the aftermath of the first world war. Philippe Noiret is Major Delaplane, in charge of recovering the bodies of dead soldiers whose remains have not yet been identified. In the course of his job he meets the aristocratic Irène de Courtil (Sabine Azéma) who is searching for her lost husband, even though it becomes clear that they were estranged and that he was the lover of another woman, whose path she crosses, looking for the same man. The premise (reminiscent of Guzman’s Nostalgia por la Luz) is fascinating, allowing the film to meditate on the hypocrisy of the veneration of the dead soldiers by those who continue to use their sacrifice for their own advantage. The relationship that evolves between Noiret and Azéma is well constructed, with Noiret a man who suffers no nonsense, and both characters overcoming an initial antipathy to discover that the things they have in common bind them far more than they realise. The budget was clearly expansive, and there are several set piece scenes whose artistry is impeccably executed. Unfortunately the script feels baggy and lends the film a discursive tone. Some of the strongest moments come towards the end, when the film foregoes dialogue in a moving sequence where both soldiers and those searching for their lost ones find a moment of consolation at an impromptu cabaret night. The atmosphere and music of this moment invoke a pathos which the film at other points seems to strain to achieve.
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