L'ennemi intime

Well, Some official critics wrote "the French Apocalypse Now". Well, it's much less, hum, metaphorical than apocalypse now. Not just because of the countryside aspect. Were no more in the damp swamps of Vietnam, but the dry lands of Mediterranean countries. Here is just the ugly truth. No black and white, grey, like the uniforms covered of dust. That's a great aspect of this movie. They just show ordinary men becoming Beast. Because it's war, because war is ugly, because this wasn't an ordinary war. It's deeply based on true facts, like this former Resistant using torture, despite having being tortured himself while a resistant. Or those two Algerian mates, who used to fight in the Monte Casino against the German... and then one of them kill the other, because they're in two different side, and one of them had his family killed by the other one's friends. And the fellagas using ugly means, because there's no other mean to free your country. I was more shaken by this movie than I was by any Vietnam movies. Because, well, maybe, Terrien, he could just have been me.

This film is nothing short of "brilliant." "L'ennemi Intime" is set in French-occupied Algeria in 1959 at the height of the insurgency. A French platoon is sent deep into enemy territory to find and liquidate the head of the insurgents called Slimane. Lieutenant Terrien, a novice and a humanist, is given charge of the platoon after its commander is accidentally killed by friendly fire. "L'ennemi Intime" is a little bit like "The Battle of Algiers" but set in the mountains of Kabylie (Berber territory in Algeria). I first saw it at the Dubai Film Festival in December 07 and was completely blown away by it. It is so gripping and visceral. The film is an incredible commentary on the inhumanity of war; how not matter how innocent and good one goes to war he is almost certain to become a beast and a murderer in the end. I highly recommend this film. Every soldier who is about to be deployed to a war zone should watch Ennemi Intime. Its simplest message is that war corrupts the human soul and there are no winners once the shooting stops.

"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.

I have just seen L'ennemi intime, a film about a young lieutenant during the Algeria war in 1959. A few films have already been shot about that war (L'honneur d'un capitaine, La bataille d'Alger, etc.) but this one is the best. At least it will change the way films are made on this matter. The actors are good, the images beautiful, the action very well done. And the film show the atrocities from both side (and that's quite rare actually, usually in France you have the "bad French" against the "nice fellous"). This film has the quality of Platoon or Apocalypse now. I only give 8/10 because of the end, not perfect. But it's a must seen film.

L'Ennemi Intime is a good attempt at portraying the Algerian War and its complexities. It is undoubtedly a gritty movie, with grittier colors, and even grittier characters... I came feeling gritty myself, and uneasy, which means that in my case the film did have a certain impact. However, the story-that of an idealistic lieutenant facing the realities of war and his reaction-was, in my opinion, weak. Filmed mostly from the French soldiers' point of view, the film was too simplistic and predictable, and its characters are unidimensional and bland, and ultimately unconvincing. The only difference in this film is that it is about the Algerian War. Whereas it is not your average hero-triumphs war movie, it is your average innocent-discovers-horror war movie. It is not as deep and good as Chronique des Annees de Braise, and is miles from the provocatively brilliant, and highly-recommended Bataille d'Alger.