Vaincre ou mourir

I've been deeply moved by this movie.

I only recently discovered what happened in Vendée, a french department, right after the revolution.

And it's important that peace can be made with this dark event of french history.

This is not about promoting kingdom over republic... Those reviews judging this movie by this angle are deeply wrong.

It's about loyalty and "panache" among many other qualities. The main character is fighting for a noble cause and has to cope with loyalty and treason from both sides.

And let's be honest, it might not be a blockbuster with famous actors or tremendous budget but, man, it has a story to tell and you can feel the spirit of these actors playing their role.

Deep respect.

I wish I could definitely see more movies like this and particularly with my kids.

A beautiful movie for a low-budget film shot in just 18 days!

A big unexpected success in France

A film about a very sad part of the history of France that the french republic has always sought to conceal.

Go and watch it, so that the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Vendeans will not be forgotten in the face of a republic which organized a real genocide (which is tried to be hidden...)

I hope that this theme will be discussed again because this period of history should not be forgotten.

Many other great Vendée generals also deserve a film about their history.

We will not forget all those who fought to defend their king, their religion and their freedom against the barbarism of the republic.

An amazing movie. In France the movie industry is hugely the results of a leftist propaganda resulting in really bad movies. Nobody really cares about the French cinema for several decades now, but here we go. Fantastic actors, true story, hidden to the French People for so many decades. It is joyful to finally get such a great moment of art. The entire French critics got insane when this movie was release and the entire press went 100% when for the public it was as a fantastic moment of real French grandeur. My 3 kids loved it, an occasion to revisit the bloody French history and the terrible propaganda we, French People, got sunken into from our childhood.

Vaincre ou Mourir is a unique and captivating project from Puy du Fou Films, who launched it as their first production with a remarkable low 5 million euro budget and no public money contrary to the totality of the other French cinematographic productions. Despite the lack of press and media attention, it achieved great success, becoming one of the top box office films of the year and amassing over 300,000 admissions. The movie is a powerful retelling of François-Athanase Charette de La Contrie's extraordinary journey during the Vendée War, combining beautiful visuals, a dramatic score, and an emotionally engaging narrative for an immersive experience. Rod Paradot stars as Charette, a figure of great perseverance, as viewers are taken through his struggles and his commitment to his path and convictions. While there is some over-the-top dialogue, Vaincre ou Mourir succeeds in capturing the spirit of history and the resilience of the people of the Vendée region. It was a great success, though unfortunately not all cinema networks were keen to show it, because of the subject of the Vendéen genocide orchestrated by the idols of the French left.

Two potential criticisms of this documentary include the limited number of extras, which requires the camera to use close shots, and the prominence of the voice-over by Charette.

It is worth noting that the filmmakers consulted different historians with varying opinions, rather than just using the title of historian to legitimize the film without taking their perspectives into account.

This film really looks stunning. In terms of art direction and realism, French films are superior to the plastic junk from Hollywood. However, if Vaincre ou Mourir had listened to one well-known American maxim: 'Show, don't tell', the film would have succeeded. Unfortunately, viewers are not allowed to experience history, we must listen to it and understand it.

The fact that at the beginning of the film a number of specialists start to indicate what is yet to come, does not bode well. We are then presented with a number of colorful characters. Unfortunately we are not allowed to get to know them, but they are explained and that is a killer for any drama.

Many films that tell an unexposed part of history have an enormous need for framing and interpretation. The result is a story that limps on two legs, in which facts are more important than drama. And let it be precisely drama that ensures that facts stick. There were probably too many correct or educational captains on the ship of this production. A good screenplay and a good director would have sufficed.