At War

This is a great naturalist and quasi-documentary film about labour movement and about capitalist oppression. It is very well developed, filmed, acted, and written. Dialogues throughout the movie depict quite convincingly both cynical position of big business agents (be them great CEO or minor employees) and contradictions and clashes inside working class itself and trade unions. This is an excellent film that puts Brizé in an honorable place together with masters such as Ken Loach and the Dardenne Brothers. Definitely with watching, this motion picture is a drama with some very harsh moments, particularly in its last part.

Very realistic, the intercepted strike activity basically shows the fragility of the working class in the face of unscrupulous capital. The union leaders have repeatedly reconciled internal contradictions and led a group of people to fight to keep their jobs. It is a pity that the weapons of the struggle are too weak and too few. The government is also portrayed as a three-pointer in the face of a variety of inactions by companies that swindle aid and crush workers' values. However, in a broad sense, in a place where labor-management negotiations are mature and there is a sound trade union system, workers are so fragile, let alone treat 996 as a standard, regard labor rights such as garbage, and the potential of the employer will always feel "three legs." If you don't find someone with two legs, there is a place where ordinary workers can protect themselves.

A powerful film. Or as they might say in France: Formidable.

One reason it is formidable is because of its documentary style. I don't think it would've been as effective in a standard dramatic style.

Another reason is because the labor/management dichotomy is universal in our post-indusrial world.

The ending is pretty chilling.

You deal here with an awesome, outstanding, terrific performance by Vincent Lindon AT HIS EVER BEST. He was and will never be better than he is in this feature. No one on earth could have played this character better than he did. It was a role just for him and anyone else. This fighter to the end against the world company, the gigantic octopuss of the international finance which ambition is profit, greed by crushing, smashing poor helpless people. You deal here with a gruesome social movie in the line of what Ken Loach could have done. That's just a forehead hit in which exploses you the face, an Arrow which hurts you in the guts, devastates your mind, your soul. You can't get out the theatre totally untouched, uninjured after watching such a depressing but so realistic movie. Even more realistic than the real life. Non professional actors to play workers, trady union members and of course big executives, as it was the case in Laurent Cantet's RESSOURCES HUMAINES. Another gem speaking of the very same issue and the beautiful, enchanted World Company.

THIS IS REAL LIFE !!!!!

Social movement is a theme quite prized by French cinema. It is however generally depicted in an analytic way, aimed to explain, rationalize. Here, we are shown, or even pushed into the events, from the inside. And what we are shown is a social conflict, and a big one: an industrial site, employing 1000+ people, is supposed to be shut down, by decision of the parent company. The employees refuses to just lose their jobs like that, only 2 years after firsts sacrifices in order to keep the site working on top of that. This conflict, between men and and the power of money and finance, is shown in all its rudeness. In such situation, it is indeed a war - with your lives as they are at stakes (as proclaimed by one of the leaders, an important part may never have the chance to work again). But fought not by soldiers, leading to difficulties to keep a straight line, a united front or even a cool head.

I think the director did an impressive job to put the spectator into the action. We are thus forced to think: what we would do at their place? Would we accept the market rules? Go for the money? Fight for work and justice? It is indeed so easy to judge from afar and the movie manages to break that distance.

The final part may be too much but this movies draws a ferocious portrait of social conflit, our society, its contradictions and its dead ends.