L'ennemi intime

Be prepared... Here comes what might be the most important french movie of the last few years. France has always been hiding its little political secrets and taboos, and although Americans have been multiplying projects about the Vietnam wars and the Watergate, France rarely make movies about politics. France hides itself behind the human rights. L'ENNEMI INTIME carries a heavy burden : to be the first major popular movie about the Algeria wars since THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS by Gillo Pontecorvo (1966). The objective is the same : the war still hides a huge taboo, and Siri (alongside Rotman, his writer) has tried to talk about it in a large way, avoiding caricatures and ideologies (upon which things wars usually define themselves). Lots of people in France are already accusing the movie of being spectacular. But all stories, important stories, once they've become an art form, have to drain mythology and great figures. In the way of Leone and Cimino, Siri draws archetypal soldiers torn apart between their nation, the facts, the day to day casualties of war and their own growing madness. L'ENNEMI INTIME is a true war movie, in the American tradition, as HELL IS FOR HEROES, MEN IN WAR or ATTACK. One mission turns nightmare. People redefine their own persona through this mission. The action, like in any war movie, is a political ritual that put human beings on trial with themselves. Siri uses the visual force of APOCALYPSE NOW and the brutality of PREDATOR (the scene with the falling trees) to build a mean, nervous, cruel vision, as dry as the movie is short and frontal (96 minutes). Spectacular means impact, shock, nervous attack. To wake up the minds and make them realize the importance of this war, the movie had to be spectacular. The FLN (arab liberation party) is cruel. French soldiers are cruel. Arabs torture Arabs tortured by french torturing themselves. This is war. A new brilliant motion picture by Florent Siri, making better movies each time.

An incredibly-filmed, gripping, and haunting movie about the horrors of guerrilla warfare, from the perspective of French troops in Algeria. The film is hypnotizing in its portrayal of the way in which violence and torture end up shattering these men's psyche and spirit.

The movie is also a good reminder of the hypocrisy of imperial powers. Many French fought the Nazi Germans when they invaded their country in the name of "freedom", but just 20 years later they were trying to crush the Algerian resistance for doing exactly the same thing: opposing a foreign, colonial occupation of their land. Yet the movie avoids simplistic dichotomies and, far from romanticizing the Algerian FLN, it crudely shows the atrocities committed by both sides. The landscapes in which the action takes place are mesmerizing in their crude, gripping, raw beauty.

"Intimate Enemies" could have been strong, provocative, with deep characters. One thing about the main character - a young french volunteer being chief of a platoon near forbidden areas- is that we never know the reasons why he volunteered in a war he dislikes. He is neither a professional soldier -like many who fought in Indochina and volunteered again in Algeria- nor a young called-up for duty. The character of the sergeant who tries to be human in an horrible world is deeper, but is not the main character and the movie is focused on the young one. However, the movie is not very original, but efficient, remembering clichés that are not false, and refreshing memories. I am also glad that French people begin to shoot standard movies about this war, not wonders but common films. It tries to make this subject more popular. The movie called "Mon colonel" was far better and deeper, but may be this one is more a blockbuster type: action, firing - love is missing- and moralizing movie.

L'ennemi intime (Intimate Enemies) is a raw picture looking at French conscripts during the Algeria War. It was a war that was fought for 8 years between 1954-1962, it was also a war that France failed to even acknowledged had existed until over three decades later. Pic picks up the thread in 1959 and the focal point is the relationship between Lieutenant Terrien (Benoît Magimel) and Sergent Dougnac (Albert Dupontel). The former is the new guy, idealistic, while the latter is the grizzled and battled scarred veteran.

The Barbarian Hordes.

With the French locked in battle against the Algerian rebels, the film runs the protagonists through the psychological mangler. The horrors of war are born out, with both sides of the conflict depicted with a barbarity that's harrowing in nature. As the pic progresses you can see Terrien being worn down by what he observes, the key being he is losing his idealistic heart. Moral dilemmas are deftly inserted into the screenplay, but disappointingly the political thrum that was driving the conflict is given short shrift.

From an action stand point director and co-writer Florent-Emilio Siri strikes hard, with two particular sequences - one a field of fleeing soldiers and the finale involving air-strikes - outstanding in construction. Siri also knows when to tighten the emotional noose, bringing to us poignant scenes that leave a lump in the throat. Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci's cinematography is also to be applauded, muted colours mingle with stark framing compositions to really give the sense of realism that the screenplay demands and deserves.

Aside from the lack of political basis (we need to know more about this war), the only other real problems with the piece is the conventionality, and that it inevitably is filled with war film stereotypes. However, this is very good film making and the makers bring the story to vivid life, always remaining fascinating and certainly unforgettable. 8/10

Hey! If you're looking for a War movie with some grit this is it, the movie gas a American vibe but with French flavor no over the top diatribe, this movie keeps it simple in my opinion, my advice do some back ground research after viewing outside of that this is a must see.