The Grand Maneuver

I'd seen only the great films from the 30's by this director, before enjoying this first color film from 1955. It is a light work with some sombre undertones from the military setting: we are after all in the summer of 1914, and the gallant young officers will soon be facing the terrors of the Great War. Clair reminds us that this world has vanished into the mists of time by the careful use of pastels--lavender, gray, pink--and by the camera receding into the distance: you hardly ever see a close up, most shots are long or medium. Leon Barsacq did a wonderful job as production designer; this is one of the best designed films I can remember seeing from this period.

Gerard Philipe is the best Armand you could wish for--he's brave and skilled as a soldier and incredibly immature as a man. The idea that you can carry on affairs with five women at a time is no more than a logistical problem for him. Michele Morgan plays her part so well; she's got to be mature and responsible (she's a divorcée, and hasn't been long in this town). Her heart is pulling her in a direction her mind doesn't want to go. Jean Desailly reminds me once again that he's one of the finest French actors: his Victor isn't a stuffy bourgeois, his heart is with Marie-Louise and he knows what a formidable opponent Armand is. Also he's got to combat the closed minds around him, notably his sisters.

Les Grandes manoevres can be compared to Rules of the Game, and if the Renoir classic is greater, it's because Renoir was dealing with more profound themes. I was engrossed in the story of this garrison town just the same.

A French army regiment, resplendent in colorful uniform, is quartered in a French provincial town for summer exercises. As this detachment first enters the town marching in order down its main thoroughfare, a beautiful woman (Michele Morgan) appears on the balcony of her fashion shop and catches the eye of the regiment's dashing and handsome Lothario who has already compiled a notorious string of conquests (Gerard Philipe). This gives rise to a bet by his fellow soldiers with him, when the soldiers reach their barracks, that this time he will not be able to seduce this woman. He launches a spirited campaign for her, designed to sweep her off her feet, but becomes so ensnared in her charms that he completely loses his mind and falls genuinely and madly in love with her, forgetting totally about the bet and wanting only her. The high point of his fortunes is reached when, practically on bended knee, he protests to her that he does not love her for only a few days or a few weeks but for his whole life. She is on the point of yielding to his entreaties when she learns of the bet. The denouement is exquisite torture as she is unable to credit his protestations any longer notwithstanding that she passionately desires to, he is in effect impaled to his hurt on the thorns of his past, she ends by returning to the fat husband with greasy ringlets of curls from whom she'd been divorced and who appears totally unworthy of her, and the regiment marches out of town at the end of summer. There are comic interludes of great charm and even some hilarity, as well as all the brilliance and wit that make a French movie a French movie, but all in all this is a sentimentalist's dream of a production in which the adorable loveliness of Michele Morgan is at its dazzling height.

This finely crafted movie takes us convincingly back to the France of some 100 years ago. Against the setting of a small provincial town, it shows how its prominent citizens mix up with the officers of the local cavalry regiment. Citizenry is represented here by the excellent female star Michèle Morgan, the military equally well by actor Gérard Philipe. The magnificent interaction between the two of them makes this movie going: Morgan, playing a divorced Parisienne running a ladies' fashion shop, has herself seduced at last by officer Philipe's tireless efforts. But at that very moment their relationship takes a turn for the worse.

Their tragedy gets more dimension, and is softened at the same time by the succesful development of another love. A young local girl (Brigitte Bardot) finds her cavalry officer, played by Yves Robert. The sincere human warmth between them contrasts with the stiff etiquette in the Morgan/Philipe-affair.

'Les grandes manoeuvres' (= the big army-excercises) is a very well made movie. I only think it a little too mechanical, as director René Clair forces you to watch it with hardly any emotions. Not even Brigitte Bardot is able to change that.

There are many ways to see this film: the story of a bet, a womanizer ( or Don Juan as we call them usually in Europe) has made a bet, to seduce a woman, but the thing seems more complicated : the divorced woman is very intelligent,she doesn't take seriously this handsome cavalry lieutenant and Armand becomes confused. "Les grandes manoeuvres" is also a description of the "Belle Époque" , men and women looking for love, the pleasure of the good dressing, eating, drinking and dancing. On the other side we have the description of the careless high society of a provincial some years before the world war one: marriage, dancing, tombola, military parade, concert in public garden and a lot of gossips , and as part of this pleasures a secret bet between civilian and army officers. I think that René Clair wanted to show both aspects: a love story in which a seducer becomes seduced and a totally careless high society before a great war in which thousend of soldiers will die in the trenches of Verdun for example. The performances of Gérard Philipe and Michèle Morgan are really very good.

Ironic indeed that one who was once considered a 'pioneer' should come to be regarded as 'old-fashioned'. Craftsmanship is timeless of course so let us salute and applaud that of Rene Clair. The undeniable elegance of this film is inclined to rob it of its depth and makes the comic element more effective than the tragic but that is a minor criticism. There are after all so many things to enjoy: the sumptuous colour, splendid settings, gorgeous costumes and enchanting performers the likes of whom are gone forever alas. Michele Morgan is beautifully understated whilst the inimitable charm of Gerard Philippe succeeds in making his 'cad' sympathetic. Jean Desailly makes the most of a thankless part and hard to believe that a year later Bardot would be strutting her stuff in the risible 'And God created Woman'. A captivating film from one whose creative talent has added sparkle to our rather lacklustre world. Merci bien Monsieur Clair.