Un village français

Fantastic series. It makes the war real, very concrete: not the battles, which we have seen before, but the struggles of ordinary people, trying to understand what's happening, and what that means for their convictions, their acts, who they are. They're slowly adjusting. We all ask ourselves what we would have done, but we forget about "time". Dealing with and understanding the occupation and atrocities took time. It's hard to understand now how people could be horrible, but it was hard then too. The war is hard, what happens to adults horrible. But, I have to say that the part about the Jewish children is unbearable, excruciating. This hits the limits of human understanding. As a mother, I couldn't go through it. Nobody could face this. We all know what happened, and can't accept it, but seeing this so real...

This is the Most extraordinary show I've ever seen in my 60 year life. The depth and evolution of the characters is flawless. The pain and guilt of the occupation is palpable and touched me in ways I never anticipated. While the show was wrenching at times to watch, I can't imagine a better rendition of such a painful and revelatory experience.

I can't recommend enough!

Postscript: Since finishing the series and writing this review, I've been searching for one word to describe the experience of Un Village Français....The word is haunting...

Un village français is a seven season revelation. Though it appears to be a story about people, it's really an allegorical tale about a nation. Each character represents a segment of the population that either lived through or was directly affected by the German occupation of France from 1940 through 1944. The hapless, the hopeless, the connivers, the accommodators, the victims and even those who embraced the NAZI ideology are all here in human form. As their story unfolds we learn...in vary nuanced lessons...that huge forces that rip away all that moors society and each of us to each other can't be summed up in a phrase or a song. That there's devastation, pain, denial, guilt and even redemption awaiting all of us when evil becomes authority. Other reviewers will tell you the story. But in truth Un village français is much more. And so well done that it might be the best thing ever to appear on the small screen. Watch it.

This series is one of the best I've ever seen, the acting, the setting, and all of the historical details done so extremely well. It truly is a shame that this series does not have broader coverage here in the U.S., it would be an excellent choice for airing on HBO. The broad history behind this series is true, the experiences and brutal choices that have to be made by a population under occupation; and it makes one think "How would I cope under the same circumstances?" In watching each episode, I can't wait to see the next one. The cast of characters with different perspectives and story lines blends together flawlessly, and you end up caring about all of them. Truly well done.

Un village français explores the intricacies and horrors of living under German occupation during WWII. The writers deal with the delicate issues of collaboration and resistance beautifully, without judgement or criticism, which made me think about how I may have behaved/reacted in the villagers situation.

The writers were very wise to make a TV series rather than a film or mini-series as it just wouldn't be possible to get a genuine feel for the occupation in a couple of hours. I recently watched Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter (2013) and found that 270 minutes was just not long enough to really understand the German experience of WWII, and left me with more questions.

It is so nice and refreshing to see a French spoken series about French people, instead of British series about French people! (e.g Maigret with Michael Gambon or Monsignor Renard with John Thaw). I really hope this series get the international acclaim it deserves! 10/10 from me.