Una aldea francesa

"Un village français" is one of these rare TV series which suck you in through realistic plots mixing suspense, love, betrayal without being sensationalist, and staying simple (although the numerous love triangles are a little too much at times). French TV being filled with painfully mediocre, if not absolutely bad series, "Un village français" stands out as the best one out there, by far.

The realism of it is one of the factors which make it great. The actors are superb, their characters genuine, the women beautiful in a classy way (not tasteless bombshells), and the plots explore simple people's decisions during the hard circumstances of the Occupation, without ever openly judging their acts.

The series starts kind of slow. I'd say the first season is the weakest yet, even though it has the ultimate spectacular scenes when the German army takes control of the village. The series only gets better as the viewer is more familiar with each character, and follows their individual paths, their interactions, their fears and decisions. It takes its time. It doesn't rush into the events of the Occupation, and rather presents the slow evolution of French Collaboration as things get harsher and more fixed, and the characters ultimately need to find themselves and chose their definite side, or remain torn.

As said before, "Un village français" doesn't judge, staying remarkably neutral when possible, not opting for an easy manichean presentation of the Occupation. Many characters turned collaborators are not bad people and even try to do good, like the mayor of the village, or one young woman who has an affair with a German soldier. Even the young chief of police (Jean Marchetti) is likable. As I'm writing this, the series is only in its fourth season, so I can't wait to see how these characters will be treated in the last season which will presumably depict the Liberation. Hopefully, it will continue to show the harsh reality (I'm expecting head shavings, trials, public dishonor, executions, escapes and pardons... the characters are so diverse that each fates are possible).

A great TV series, which I highly recommend to those who have a chance to see it.

Fantastic series. It makes the war real, very concrete: not the battles, which we have seen before, but the struggles of ordinary people, trying to understand what's happening, and what that means for their convictions, their acts, who they are. They're slowly adjusting. We all ask ourselves what we would have done, but we forget about "time". Dealing with and understanding the occupation and atrocities took time. It's hard to understand now how people could be horrible, but it was hard then too. The war is hard, what happens to adults horrible. But, I have to say that the part about the Jewish children is unbearable, excruciating. This hits the limits of human understanding. As a mother, I couldn't go through it. Nobody could face this. We all know what happened, and can't accept it, but seeing this so real...

This is the Most extraordinary show I've ever seen in my 60 year life. The depth and evolution of the characters is flawless. The pain and guilt of the occupation is palpable and touched me in ways I never anticipated. While the show was wrenching at times to watch, I can't imagine a better rendition of such a painful and revelatory experience.

I can't recommend enough!

Postscript: Since finishing the series and writing this review, I've been searching for one word to describe the experience of Un Village Français....The word is haunting...

I wasn't sure about watching this series but I was really hooked by Episode 3 of the first season. However, a couple of my favorite French stars, Thierry Godard and Audrey Fleurot, drew me to the series. It was well worth it. I just completed the last season and have since purchased the entire series. I have never done that before.

The story behind the citizens of the town is intriguing all through their lives and to the final episodes as I watched them decline in health and appearance. It is a fascinating story of the Occupation and how the war affected these citizens of an obscure French village. Viewers were introduced to the harsh reality of war in France if you watched "Band of Brothers" but this shows the sorrow, death and troubling decisions citizens had to make as the war and occupation moved on.

I recommend this to all viewers. Yes, it takes a lot of time to watch it but it is worth it.

Un village français is a seven season revelation. Though it appears to be a story about people, it's really an allegorical tale about a nation. Each character represents a segment of the population that either lived through or was directly affected by the German occupation of France from 1940 through 1944. The hapless, the hopeless, the connivers, the accommodators, the victims and even those who embraced the NAZI ideology are all here in human form. As their story unfolds we learn...in vary nuanced lessons...that huge forces that rip away all that moors society and each of us to each other can't be summed up in a phrase or a song. That there's devastation, pain, denial, guilt and even redemption awaiting all of us when evil becomes authority. Other reviewers will tell you the story. But in truth Un village français is much more. And so well done that it might be the best thing ever to appear on the small screen. Watch it.