Fort Saganne

I watched it on DVD, what I bought in Kiosk, for 1.2 Euro - initially, it was twice so, but they dropped price, you know why... It was 180 min version. Story was interesting for me, because I didn't know almost anything about French involvement in Sahara and around.

Main problem of movie is direction, by me, combined with script. Scenes are simple not enough convincing, and pace is often slow. Look for instance situation when Madeleine takes horse and rides, then Sagan's reaction. All it looked too hermetic, without emotions. And there is lot of such ones. Probably worst (for viewer) is finale on battlefield. it (and he) looked so dumb, that I wished that they kill him (and was of course predictable like hell).

OK. Things changes lot in past 90 years, and we look different on word 'hero' now. Maybe WWI was that point where it turned significantly - with all war technique there was no place for heroes, just for millions of dead bodies. Film is not bad in all, but for a really good French war movie I'd recommend "Un long dimanche..."

I've seen this film back in 84 in Geneva. I didn't find it neither played nor talked about ever since and always regretted much that the film is obviously not known at all. I was deeply impressed by the passionate story with large, beautiful images, wonderfully photographed. The length was ok because it was a novel. Depardieu in a role that shows a rare side of him.

This has to be one of my favorite films, sweeping desert scenes, the desert, always the desert. The Compagnies Sahariennes Mehariste in all their glory, battles, last stands, the French officer Saganne easily coming to terms with the harsh desert, later rather unsettled living without it. This is also autobiographical, as mentioned in "France Soldiers And Africa". The loyalty of the native troops is noticeable throughout. The meeting with the looper Capt. Baculard in the depths of the desert is memorable.... Watch out for the the ever dependable NCO Embarek, and his love of the "Aluette" song.. Desert. Colour. Forts, abound, I was not expecting the sweeping movie it is. This could well be the "Far Pavillions" of the French Africa. Look out for Saganne in the hell of the early Western Front, going to the wall map and laying his hand on his beloved West Africa. It is fitting the last scenes are of the desert. I felt drained after letting this film wash over, and carry me along French Colonial West Africa........ This movie is a French love letter to Africa........

Sets and costumes are perfect, and there is not a single bad actor. However, the it is not a moving film and it scandalously supports slaughtery of colonized rebels, just as golden era Hollywood celebrates the butchery of untamed Indians. Honestly, I expected more from a film from the 80's than this absence of self criticism: there are the bad colonizers (racists, cowards and aristocratic) and there are the good colonizers (handsome liberators with honour and humble origin, and good relationship with reasonable natives, who respectfully provide French peace to Africa, only killing rebels who did not understand French civilization, with a heroic sountrack to highlight that imperialistic heroism). Seriously?! If there is any criticism, it is similar to that of USA Vietnam War movies: how the government did not care about the suffering of its heroes in battlefront. Besides the military issue, the movie also has is personal issue: let me call characters by actors' names: Depadieu's affair with Deneuve ans his love story with Marceau are very undevelopped and unexplained too. Depardieu's brother has an even less connected story, as a three-hour film needed more plots to be added.

We follow Charles Saganne story that belongs to farmer class and whose family tries to rise. Sent to the army to help their finance, he finally arrives in Sahara and discovers the desert, honnor, battles and love. It is a bit of a French "Lawrence of Arabia", with maybe the desert as a stronger character as it plays a huge part in the development of Saganne. The film goes on, alternating from Sahara to France, following its history.

Depardieu is key in this movie to make us believe in that man, used to do what he is said, and whose experience in the desert and then with a woman changes him.

However, the movie is a bit too long and lacks some stamina to be as powerful as it could have been.