De Gaulle

It is the 80th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle's famous "Appeal of 18th June" speech on the BBC and, even though this film originally came out in March, it was interrupted by the COVID-19 crisis and has just returned to the cinema literally in time for the anniversary. I was expecting a sort of Hollywood-style hagiography but I was very pleasantly surprised. Lambert Wilson, one of France's finest actors, plays De Gaullle in a very nuanced manner, and you never really can decide whether he is motivated solely by a desire to save France from defeat and dishonor or whether, as his enemies in the film claim, he is guided by ambition and a desire to make a name for himself -- but in either case, he was, like Churchill, the right man in the right place at the right time, symbolizing the determination of at least some French to resist the invader at all costs. Isabelle Carré also does a stunning turn as Yvonne de Gaulle, who for the French public occupied a place similar to that of Mamie Eisenhower. In fact, there isn't a single actor who doesn't do a sterling job in this film, and that goes double for the girl who plays their Down's syndrome stricken daughter, Anne, who steals every scene she is in. The real Charles de Gaulle was no saint - he gave little credit to the efforts of the Americans, British and Canadians in liberating France and considered them as little more than another sort of occupying power, and his undiplomatic, even crude speech in Quebec supporting the separatist movement was an amazing slap in the face of his Canadian hosts. But there is no denying that he was first and foremost a patriot in the true sense of the term, and this film shows him, warts and all, in just such a manner.

This movie opened up the side of De Gaulle I knew nothing of. He was a career military man, gaining the rank of colonel, but also this movie showed the family side and that is what I was impressed with. He and his wife showed such devotion to their young daughter who had Down's syndrome, his normal stiff upper lip was gone when interacting with Anne his daughter and the sheer devotion to her was quite moving.

It is always easy to go with the crowd and his career and life may well have not changed had he accepted defeat and capitulation to nazi Germany, however he refused and took the road of resistance.

He had his nationality removed, property confiscated and his family were at risk of imprisonment or worse, but still he defied the odds and gave the famous radio speech rallying the free French resistance.

This movie tells a clear story of the dilemmas he had to face and decisions which took courage, politicians nowadays could learn from his story, we would be a better world if more were like him.

Good acting, clear storytelling and interesting facts make this a recommended movie to watch if nothing else but to get a history lesson.

I hope The French people are inspired by a true patriot and saviour of France.

I guess viewers respond differently to this movie depending on their perspective as some rate it highly and others poorly.

The actor who played De Gaulle, I thought did a good job, but I agree with others that Churchill's character was very bland.

The story was very inspiring as De Gaulle refused to give in to the Nazis, contrary to many other French military and political leaders. I was moved by the strength of his character!

Biopic that tells, in a dramatic way, how the French general Charles de Gaulle fought the advance of Nazi Germany during WWII, separating from his family and exiling himself to London to negotiate an alliance with Churchill. The film begins in May 1940 in Abbeville. The German army gains ground in France, but Colonel de Gaulle does not give up. Charles opts to continue the fight and ally himself with the British army against a defeatist French government that, once President Reynaud resigns, is chaired by Petain. Promoted to general for his heroic and unwavering speech, he advises his wife Yvonne to flee Colombey with her children, including a disabled girl. Along the way, Charles de Gaulle is confronted with the military and political collapse of France in 1940. Charles de Gaulle lives in London while his his wife Yvonne attempts join him, but she finds herself with her three children on the road of the exodus.

Efficiently directed by Gabriel Le Bomin and well starred by Lambert Wilson - Cesar nominated for best actor for his great work- and Isabelle Carré's dazzling acting as his wife. De Gaulle shows how the well-known statesman became a great hero of the Resistance and a brave and beloved figure who had to deal, from abroad, with countless accusations of betrayal and public humiliation. The film also explores the most personal, intimate and protagonist's family that is quite unknown to the general public. It also has nice performances from Olivier Gourmet as Reynaud, Catherine Mouchet, Pierre Hancisse, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Gilles Cohen as Georges Mandel and Tim Hudson as Winston Churchill .

Adding more biographical data to complete those exposed in the film, these are the following: Charles was commissioned as an officer during the First World War, having been wounded several times and then taken prisoner at Verdun. Pétain considered him a very good officer.1 In 1921 he married Yvonne Vendroux, with whom he had three children: Philippe (1921), Élisabeth (1924-2013) and Anne, who had Down syndrome (1928-1948). During the interwar period, he held various military positions, in particular that of secretary of the National Defense Council (1937-1940), under the command of Marshal Philippe Pétain. During the German invasion of May 1940, he led an armored division that counterattacked the invaders; later he was appointed undersecretary of war. When Paul Reynaud's government fell and the Pétain regime was established, its former boss, with the support of the Nazi collaborator, Pierre Laval, confirmed that the new authorities would not continue the war against the Third Reich and on the contrary would plan the French surrender in instead of fighting from Algeria. Refusing to accept his government's armistice with Germany, de Gaulle urged the French population to resist the occupation and continue the struggle in his June 18 appeal from London after having left the country on June 16, 1940. There he assumed the command of Free France or Fighting France. During those years he wrote the book L'Appel (between 1940 and 1942), where he exposes his vision of the war: the enormous tragedy of the occupation, the defeatist spirit, the surrender to the enemy, the call not to give up from London, the organization of Free France, the fight for its dignity in defense of all of France and the contributions that these French made to the allies, through the organization of armed forces that participated in decisive combats against the Wehrmacht. He led a government in exile (founded in London) as well as its armed forces, which were against the Axis powers. Despite the frosty relations he possessed with the United Kingdom and especially the United States, he emerged as the undisputed leader of the French resistance. He became head of the Provisional Government of the French Republic in June 1944, this being the interim government of France after its liberation.

I was expecting a lot from De Gaulle, as the underlying story offered a great potential, and my expectations went mostly unmet. The movie does not make the fundamental choice whether to be about the private or the public De Gaulle; as a consequence, we don't gain many insights of the life and psychology of the man nor do we learn much more at historical level. Failing this basic choice, the movie remains at a rather superficial level on both sides and left me with a sense of an unfinished work. It does not help the case that the poor acting performance of the key actors (Churchill is a grotesque caricature of himself). On the positive side, the historical accuracy is good and very good is the photography.