I watched "La Guerre des Boutons" around 1970. It was a very enjoyable movie. Well I married a war buff, but not of the kind of war of this movie is about, but the Pacific Theater of World War II. I have been looking for the tape of "La Guerre des Boutons" for years. I wanted my husband to see the black and white movie where a bunch of kids speaking French engages in their own type of warfare. Interestingly and strangely enough both movies were practically unknown in the States. I never found the tape of "La Guerre des Boutons" but when I realized that "The War of the Bottoms" was out, I immediately had to buy it. My husband loved the movie, and so did I.
It is so much fun watching those kids engaging in warfare. They get ideas from their school teacher and come up with all kind of strategies and plans. They have a leader, meet after school, and have to work to get ammunition, war it is quite serious business for those Irish Kids. They are prepared! One bunch of kinds are all "preppie," the typical "suits"! The other group is a bunch of poor kids wearing their jeans. When the poor guys realized that buttons were expensive and they can get their butt spanked for losing their buttons, they show up for their fight already naked, which really scared their adversaries. They meet in their little fort, where they kept their ammunition. They even dance and have a party when they win a little battle, just like the big boys. Jerome is my favorite of the bunch of characters. He is one of the opposition but he is such a little gentlemen and is so cute! I can also identify with Maria, because most of my friends for most of my life have been male. I found it interesting that the one of the producers was David Puttnam (The Killing Fields, Midnight Express, Memphis Belle, The Mission) who produced "Chariots of Fire" with the late Dodi Fayed, Princess Diana's boyfriend. Another fascinating fact is that this is supposed to be the first movie all of the kids had done. They were not "trained actors," but what a performance! This movie I presume is well known around the world but not in the U.S. I watched the movie first outside the U.S. I just wonder why such a classic is not known here? I recommend this movie to anyone. It is just adorable. What is it with the distributors here? My favorite scene: When the little guy gets royally drunk. He is hilarious. The kids stopping the war to care for the little rabbit.
My favorite quotes: "Fergus": "What are we going to cut off first?" The little kid goes: "His willie, cut off his willie."
