This is a very interesting chronicle of the last months before the outbreak of WW2,which would devastate all the plans, all the dreams,and all the good prospects of three students from a well-to-do milieu ; after their graduation, they think the whole world is theirs ( the film ends with shots of a movie theater,showing "it' a wonderful world" ; it begins with hints at Hollywood movies :Garbo,Tarzan,et al); the highlight of the movie is perhaps the scene on the bridge where the three pals 'jump make them undefeatable (and blood brothers for life).
They do not take war seriously ; "we will make short work of them": they do not realize that the trenches they dig and their cavalry ,like the French Maginot Line ,offered a false sense of security against the German tanks.
The first ten minutes and the last ten minutes are lively but sharply contrasts : the joy of the dances at the graduation ball ,the panic in the streets with the first victims of the tragedy (a great scene shows two lovers on the beach under a blue sky,suddenly invaded by ominous planes)
The parents's side is not passed over in silence ;the mother , having lived through WW1 , and wondering "how many generations before we have peace? " echoes to the father's prideness :"you're the first young man of our family living in a free country for centuries "
The endearing actors are not known in Western Europa ,with the exception of Daniel Olbrychski (Schlöndorff's "die Blechtrommel " in Germany , Lelouch 's "ls uns et les autres " in France);too bad his part is a cameo.
