Vencer ou Morrer

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.

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.

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.

French cinema tends to be the same theme over and over again. Here however it is a topic hardly ever mentioned and just for that it makes the film worth watching.

Now personally I found the first half of the film extremely hard to watch as we are shown the atrocities of the war, the barely armed peasants sent to be slaughtered by the 'hero' of the film. Then there is the counter attack where non fighters (elders, children and women) get slaughtered and we know it happened.

We mostly follow the side of the Vendeans at a time period called "the Terror" for how people in the same side would cut the heads off their former ally and now rivals, at a time revolutionaries were trying to fight most of Europe with under trained people through sheer numbers. Needless to say the resistance from the Vendeans was not appreciated and the 'solution' to it, as shown in the film, was brutal and merciless.

Be aware it is not a feel good film, it's about dark times and the film shows that well.

I strongly suggest people to watch the film to make their own opinions since many critics put it down for choosing a different topic or being done by a studio which is not vetted by established French studios.

I know I have used that before - though I reckon I do like Her Story - more of a pun! Speaking of which - no pun intended of course. I did not know of this man and the story the movie is telling us. Everyone knows about Napoleon and other people (though even with them I doubt many know all the details - movie knowledge aside), but if you are not French (and even then) you will get a "new" story here.

I quite like the setting (time period, clothing/costumes and so forth), the action ... and it is always nice to root for the "little man" (not Napoleon in this case - sorry not sorry). So if you care about history (and his story), you will enjoy this either way. But if you like costume movies in general and don't care much about that ... you still will have a good time ... well you know what I mean ... the inevitable end will come as with every movie (well not literally) ...