The Officer's Ward (2002)

Synopsis: THE OFFICER'S WARD, a masterful adaptation by director François Dupeyron of the novel by Marc Dugain, is set in Paris during World War I. Adrien (Eric Caravaca) is a youthful engineer with his... THE OFFICER'S WARD, a masterful adaptation by director François Dupeyron of the novel by Marc Dugain, is set in Paris during World War I. Adrien (Eric Caravaca) is a youthful engineer with his whole life ahead of him who waits anxiously for the war to begin. He watches soldiers leaving on trains for the front line, and is smitten with a young woman, Clemence (Géraldine Pailhas), with whom he passes one tender, desperate night. Soon after, while on patrol, a bomb lands just next to him, knocking him unconscious. When he awakes, he realizes that he cannot speak, though he can move his arms and legs. The only injury he has suffered is to his mouth and one side of his face. For an entire 35 minutes after this tragic event, Adrien's face is not shown. He is placed in a specialized ward for officers with facial disfigurements, and every nurse and doctor that looks at him cringes in astonishment. It is not until Adrien dares to confront himself by looking at his reflection in the glass of the window that the viewer sees the horrific condition of his face. The other men in the ward support and encourage each other, helping each other to endure what was once unimaginable. A sweet and nurturing nurse, Anaïs (Sabine Azema), offers Adrien motherly compassion, but he worries that no woman will ever look at him again the way that Clemence once did. Through masterful filming, moving performances by each and every cast member, and a beautiful, artistic script, THE OFFICER'S WARD makes a monumental statement both about the horrors of war and the resiliency of the human spirit. This film was included in the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2002 festival organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York City. [More]

Starring: Eric Caravaca, Denis Podalydes, Gregori Derangere, Sabine Azema

Starring: Eric Caravaca, Denis Podalydes, Gregori Derangere, Sabine Azema, André Dussollier, Isabelle Renauld, Geraldine Pailhas, Guy Trejan, Xavier De Guillebon, Catherine Arditi, Circe Lethem, Paul le Person

Director: Francois Dupeyron

Director: Francois Dupeyron
Screenwriter: Francois Dupeyron
Producer: Michele Petin, Laurent Petin
Composer: Arvo Pärt

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