Le Vieux Fusil

After reading other reviews and comments on 'Le Vieux Fusil' I see that this film has been vastly misunderstood. Yes it is about revenge but it is above all a love story. It is about the love of a man for his wife and daughter. I watched the movie as a teenager and have not seen it in years but to this day this is the impression it left on me. It is a beautiful love story between two people, and a man who would do anything to avenge the people he loved more than anything. Some scenes are incredibly violent and we can only imagine the atrocities people have gone through during the war. Atrocities that like in this movie make Philippe Noiret's character flip.

Romy Schneider and Philippe Noiret are both magnificent in their roles.

The story telling is utterly convincing, and because of the flashback technique, we feel the emotion of the main character (Julien) as the drama unfolds. The suspense is keen and mounting. The viewer keeps asking with increasing intensity: is this what I would do in Julien's position? His mistakes make us groan, his successes make us cheer. His pathos makes us cry.

Raw, tragic, and incredibly poetic, a direct blow to the heart. A low-budget film that masterfully plays all the best cinematic cards and reaches a supremely lyrical level. A masterful performance by an exceptional cast, portraying well-constructed roles and using montages built through continuous flashbacks that skillfully blend highly dramatic moments with poetic ones. Memory, recollection, personal experiences of an ordinary citizen who takes revenge into his own hands.

The protagonist, far from being painted as a heroic and superhuman Rambo (Stallone's "Rambo" film would come only 8 years later, undoubtedly drawing from this), is an everyday man in an extraordinary situation overwhelmed by events.

A microhistory, like many untold ones, that reminds us of the horrors of wars and the power of love that can overcome even in a tragic way. A tragicomedy, like Greek tragedies can be, with an ending that is not happy but somehow comforting. It makes us love the character in all his tragicness and it makes us accompany him, on the dark side of revenge.

Many people have already made clear why this movie is so incredibly good. It is definitely worth watching.

There is one thing however that bothers me in this movie. Without spoiling, you will see that this man cares so much more about his wife than his daughter. This is awfully unrealistic for the hero in a movie, but necessary seen the famous actress playing the wife (they had to give her more screen time).

Other than that, the action is great for its time. It is a realistic revenge story, so don't expect Jason Statham killing over a 100 Nazi's in half an hour. This movie keeps it real and touches your heart, don't watch it for the action.

Nice movie please watch. You can watch second time also.