Category Archives: French Soldiers

2015, Afghanistan, Anxiety Attacks, Cover-up, French Soldiers, Kanopy streaming, Military, Missing Person, Must suspend disbelief, Mysterious Disappearance, Panic Attacks, Paranormal theme, Psychological Tension, Religious Theme, Sheep Farmers, Slow, Suspense, Taliban, Unexpected Ending, Unusual

Neither Heaven Nor Earth (2015)

From Kanopy:

French Army Captain Antares Bonassieu and his squad are assigned to monitor a remote valley of Wakhan, Afghanistan on the border of Pakistan. Negotiating control of the region between local shepherds and possible Taliban sympathizers grows more and more tenuous for them as men from all sides start mysteriously disappearing. Unable to explain this eerie phenomenon, the soldiers find themselves embroiled in an existential nightmare, desperate for their own safety.

From Kanopy you can stream this 105 minute complete French film with English subtitles.

Films involving some paranormal occurrence are often second-rate. But in this military themed film, there is nothing cheesy about the paranormal disappearances of both soldiers and Afghans.  What is palpable throughout is the increasingly desperate frustration of Captain Bonassieu (played by Jérémie Renier) and his men to explain what is happening.  Even if the solution suggested to the soldiers by a young Afghan shepherd seems implausible, it hardly matters to the story.  More important and really central to the drama is the mounting tension, its psychological effect on the troops, and how to explain the disappearances to their loved ones back home. Bonassieu’s final act of self-sacrifice is clever and unexpected.

Slow moving and clearly a genre that may not appeal to everyone, this film presents, nonetheless, a rather unique and possibly moving plot.

2017, Acceptable for teenagers, Airline pilot, Boating, British History, Docudrama, Father-son relations, French Soldiers, Grim, Human spirit, Mental Illness, Military, Navy, Sea Rescue, Suspense, True Story, War

Dunkirk (2017)

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From IMDB:

Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire and France are surrounded by the German Army, and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.

British Airways offered this film along with subtitles.

Dunkirk is famous for the heroism of the small British boats that came to the rescue of the surrounded allied soldiers. In this regard I hope you can someday read the beautiful short story “The Snow Goose”.

HOWEVER, this particular film, far from any romanticizing, shows all the horror and death associated with the Dunkirk rescue. There were also large rescue ships. But several ships and passengers perished. Sometimes a sinking ship left a cover of oil on the water which then caught fire and burned soldiers to death. All in all, the scenes are difficult to watch.

As a human-interest note in the film, one British small boat owner and his sons are featured. Along the way they rescue a shell-shocked soldier, further showing the horror of war.

Also featured are the British pilots who tried to battle the German planes that came to bomb the marooned soldiers.

Inspiring, terrifying, but worth the watch.

2016, Afghanistan, Ambiguous Conclusion, French, French Soldiers, Military, Mystery Film, Psychological Drama, Religious Theme, War

Neither Heaven Nor Earth (2016)

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From IMDB:

While on a mission in Afghanistan, French captain Antarès Bonassieu’s men start vanishing one by one without explanation.

Netflix sent me a DVD of this French film with optional English subtitles.

Every now and then I happen upon a film that I cannot characterize and “Neither Heaven Nor Earth”, which held my attention every second, is such a film. Although it follows a group of French soldiers posted in the mountains of Afghanistan, it is not a military film as such. Although the central theme is the mysterious disappearances of some of the soldiers (at various times), it is not a mystery story which concludes with the solution. Because the presentation is so low-key and natural, neither does the film feel like science fiction.

Most of all the film is a study of the negative effects of the pressures of war upon soldiers, especially when those pressures are compounded by the unsolved disappearances of the four men. Go into this film without expecting any answers and enjoy the wonderful acting, the lack of cheap horror effects, and the portrayal of fear as it affects the sanity of some of the men.

One of the best reviews was provided by Roger Ebert. Another supporting review comes from Avclub.

Consider this film a well-done “happening” and keep an open mind.