Kamal Starks FRN 201 10/14/16 La Guerre Des Boutons La Guerre Des Boutons was a movie takes place in France during the Second World War; two rival children gangs set aside their differences to help protect a Jewish girl from the police who are grabbing Jewish families from their home. The director’s motif’s in this film was to visually show the viewer your worst enemy could become your greatest ally. This motif is visualized in the movie by showing the rough battles of the rival gang where they use wooden swords and knives to steal the buttons to of the opposing gang; as soon as the young girl wins the heart of both leaders; they come together to help protect her. In the movie, the police officers that were taking Jewish people from their homes, they used a similar uniform as a modern day French officer would wear. I knew from my history classes in previous years that a lot of countries abandoned Jews from their society, however I didn’t think they did that in France. Maybe it was fear of losing the war to the Germans and the French non-Jewish people would get a more server punishment. My vision of France after watching the movie hasn’t changed much. I’ve went to Paris and Montpeiller for an extended period of time and I noticed that their were narrow streets and tons of open fields. I enjoyed the movie, the young kids were adorable with amazing French accent, also the fight scenes between the two rivals felt like I was one of the boys getting ready to punch a kid in the face.
The movie “La guerre des buttons” concerns the rivalry between boys from two neighboring villages - Longeverne & Velrans - and how their battles play out against the backdrop of Nazi occupied France. As the rivalry escalates into violence, tensions in the village & anticipation against the Nazis grows more intense. The safety of a newest arrive - a Jewish girl - becomes threatened after the mayor’s son makes up a speculation to spite the other boys, but luckily, the boys are able to overcome their regional differences and join the townspeople in protecting her from SS men.
This movie is mostly about the power of friendship, and the necessity for forgiveness. A reoccurring theme especially was about putting yourself in another person’s shoes: Simone snapped at the school teacher because she assumed he wasn’t acting in the resistance, Lebrac fought with his father because they each assumed the other was being intentionally cruel, the boys tortured Bacaille because they thought he betrayed their hideaway to the Velrans, etc. Even the main conflict of the boys - the “War of the Buttons” -was started over a small misconception about “boundary lines.” Through use of irony and omnipresence, the director really made the viewer feel like many of the conflicts that occurred in this story could’ve been avoided if the characters attempted to understand each other - instead of choosing the easier, but ultimately more devastating, action of lashing out.
This idea of misunderstanding - specifically, of not willing to even attempt understanding - also provides an underlying commentary about the violence that came about during World War II, or the setting of this entire movie. It held up many of the ideas I had already heard about little villages during Nazi occupation: that many small villages avoided the huge massacres of Jewish people, homosexual, etc. but didn’t stop the little instances that did happen in their villages for fear of it turning into a larger scale provocation. For the most part, this movie followed that stereotype; the exception comes at the very end when everyone in the town comes together to protect Myriam, the Jewish girl. Apart from that, and the intense rivalry between two little villages in the Loire valley, which I can see happening often in a rural setting, I didn’t really learn much of anything new about the French people during World War II. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful little movie. It was very reminiscent of Petit Nicolas. I did really enjoy the development of Myriam and Lebrac, and the cinematography was beautiful, but to be completely honest I don’t know if I’d watch it again. It was nice, but nothing spectacular, and most of the story I had already heard before in. Plus the little boy character got a bit too annoying at times. 3/5 stars.
I like how you pointed out the theme of putting yourself in another's shoes because I feel like that was such a major point. Also I totally agree that the little boy got a little annoying.
The movie was a big metaphor for the war. Two parties, or in this case two groups of kids that are fighting over power and territory. Throughout the film, we learn about a growing friendship between a young jewish, city girl named Violette, and a young-rural farm boy named Lebrac, whom was in charge of the gang. In the end of the film when the Nazis police enforcers in their small village try to take the Jewish girl everyone works together to try and help her. Even the two young warrior groups help hide Violette from the police.
Obviously the director is showing the viewers what life was like during this time period, especially in small villages far outside the big cities. Not very many kids even knew what the big deal with the Jews was, like Lebrac. Also to show what lengths people went through to protect and hide children. Parents would send their young kids to small farms or villages in attempts of hiding them from the Nazis.
I did not know that France had that big of a part in protecting young children from the Nazis. Some of the villagers had purchased weapons in case there was every a raid of Nazis in their town. It must have been scary to play a role in protecting kids like Violette from the Nazis. They put their lives and the lives of their families on the line. Yes, I would recommend this film to others. It was interesting and showed a different perspective of Nazis going to certain lengths to try and catch all the Jews.
Great points. I also think it offered a unique perspective of historical France. I had no idea that children were sent to France to escape persecution.
The War of the Buttons takes place during World War II and follows a group of boys who get into a fight with another group of boys from a neighboring town. They begin to steal each other’s buttons in order to win. During this time as well, a young Jewish girl called Violette is in hiding from the Nazis in their town. I think one of the major messages from the director was setting aside differences when it matters. Toward the end of the movie, a lot of the conflicting groups had to come together to protect Violette. We see Lebrac and his father feuding throughout the film, but working together as if nothing happened in order to protect her. The leader from the rival group, went out of his way to help them out, even though their two groups had been at “war” during the entire movie. Though these different groups had their obvious differences, they had the same values, and could work together in the face of true evil. I also think another theme was the idea of innocence. During the film, the real war is at contrast with the children’s war. It’s clear the kids don’t have a full understanding of what’s happening until the end of the film when the threat becomes very real. I knew that France played a big role in World War II, and so in that aspect, I didn’t really learn anything new about France. I didn’t know that they hid Jewish children from the Nazis during the war. I really enjoyed the movie. I thought it was cute and funny at times, but still had a very good message and showed a new perspective during World War II. I really liked the ending of it and how Lebrac and Violette remained friends. I would definitely recommend this movie to someone. Lauren Vana
I totally agree with both of your points. It seemed as if everyone in the town besides the military police were all truly on the same side and it just took a dire moment to remind people of what was truly important -Tom
War of the Buttons follows Lebrac, a poor student who takes an interest in war strategy through “fighting” the boys of the neighboring town by cutting off their buttons. He takes an interest in Violette, a young Jewish girl who recently moved to town to hide from the Nazi Regime. I found this movie to be both very touching--juggling dark themes--and very funny. It notably tackles the themes of violence and respect. A moment that really stuck out for me was when the mayor’s son was kicked out of the Longeverne boys’ group, tortured into revealing the location of their hideout, and tortured again for giving the information. When he was about to be whipped by Lebrac, Violette spat “don’t act like a Nazi!” It showed the internal struggle of what constitutes ethical behavior growing up during a war. Sacrifice was also a recurring theme. A very memorable scene was when the two Gibus boys were having their buttons cut off and Lebrac jumped in to save them. They managed to run away, but Lebrac was overpowered and his buttons were cut off as they looked on from afar, crying. It took a lot out of Lebrac to do that and go through the shame of it, but the Gibus boys were his own and he felt the need and loyalty to save them. When Violette had to flee the Milice, the entire town, unlikely characters and all, helped her. They risked themselves for her safety. I think the greatest part of the movie was when forgiveness entered in the form of Aztec, the leader of the Velrans boys, helping Violette and Lebrac escape. I would definitely recommend this movie. The vivacious boys won me over and I cheered both with them and against them. Little Gibus made me laugh a lot, the cinematography was beautiful, and score wove through the story very well.
I agree with you that this movie does a good job conveying a serious topic while making it humorous. It makes the movie different than what's already out for this specific genre of films which tends to be very serious. Like you said, this movie is filmed with themes of forgiveness, sacrifice, and respect which makes it such a good movie because we can take away something from that. I also think it was very nice that they decided that Violette and Lebrac continued to be friends long after the war. The cinematography of the villages was beautiful and the soundtrack really did bring it all together. :)
The film takes place during World War II that follows a group of school boys lead by Lebrac in France. The boys are in "war" with another group of boys from a different village. While capturing one of the members of each gang they cut off the buttons of their articles of clothing, thus giving the movie its name. They are constantly fighting over territory, but never meet eye to eye until they come together to save a young Jewish girl from the Nazis.
A statement/argument the director is trying to convey from this film is something we learned when we were young, but should be reinforced from time to time. It is that everyone deserves respect. An example shown in the film is where one Lebrun's boys was a "traitor" for telling the enemy where their hide-out was. The other group of boys then set it on fire destroying their shack. All the boys went around and whipped the "traitor" with a belt torturting him. Their teacher then goes on to say that everyone deserves respect and a fair trail no matter that they did. This can also be seen in how they Nazis didn't treat Jewish people as people, but as something less.
I have seen multiple movies about WWII and one that I remember watching in my other French class was Au Revoir des Enfants. Most WWII movies have a similar plot line where a Jewish person is hiding with the French and they never seem to end well. But this director actually gave us a happy ending which I did not see coming. I also knew that France was housing Jewish people during the real WWII and the film reinforced that.
What is your reaction to the film? What have you learned? What surprises you? What would you like to learn more about? Would you recommend this film to others?
To be completely honest, I didn't want to watch this movie once I started it. I thought it was going to be some other really sad WWII movie like Au Revoir Des Enfants or The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas. But it was actually very cute, and made you want to think. That even those these young boys were playing war there was an actual war going on, and it was good to see them set aside their difference to help. I also makes you remember that things like this actually happened, and it should be forgotten so history doesn't repeat itself, I think thats the reason movies about this topic exist. I would recommend this movie to anyone.
La Guerre Des Boutons was a film that followed the lives of several children living in a small town on the country side of France during WWII. The film focused in on a young teen named Lebrac who with his friends, waged a war on the children of another town for "turf". Throughout the film, the children all learned the concepts of gain, loss, and peace through the befriending of a young Jewish girl known as Violette. Though the boys had their differences, they came together in order to make sure that Violette was safe.
The reoccurring idea throughout the film was to put differences aside and to love one another. I think that the director did a good job displaying this idea through the characters, especially L'Aztec, who at first saw no end to the war between he and Lebrac. However when it came down to something real, he knew that things weren't just fun and games anymore.
Within the film there was an internal conflict between those from the city and those from the country, which makes me wonder if this is still an issue in current day France. Another thing that I found interesting is the fact that the children looked to Napoleon as a great king, which was not what I personally was taught in history.
While watching this and other French films I couldn't help but notice that the characters with children are always so strict and harsh on them. For example, a lot of the children stated that they are used to being beaten, and Violette was even going to lie for Lebrac so that he wouldn't get punished. Those parts of the films are always kind of disturbing to me. However, the film overall was very funny, and it was nice to see kids have fun. Though the topic of the film was very serious, the director found ways to make war seem innocent. I would recommend this movie to others.
Tom Kelliher French 201 Film Response 3 La Guerre des Boutons is a film about a gang of boys from a small town who go to “war” with another rival gang. Consumed with their battles they fight childish wars of embarrassment and shame against the backdrop of World War Two. Things become complicated when a victim of the war of the buttons spills some truths about Violette a recently arrived girl. The entire town including the gangs of young boys, now working together, work in unison to bring Violette to safety. I think the main theme of this film was how characters developed into people you’d never expect them to be. The teacher turned out to be the leader of the French resistance, the father of the protagonist was a member of the resistance, and the protagonist himself turned out to be much more than the class dunce he was labeled as. Aside from that there was also the theme of parallels between the children’s war and the adults’ war. In a war torn France it seemed as if the children were eager and even yearning to protect what little “turf” they had left. They felt the need to stick up for themselves and their families and I believe this was a reflection of the national mindset in a childish format. One thing I’m curious about is how serene and calm life in the village appeared even though there was a war going on as well as Jews being arrested. There was a scene where the parents of a child were hesitant and reluctant to speak ill of the Germans and I wonder if there were actually French people in favor of the occupation. I would most certainly recommend this movie to others because it tells a lighthearted yet warming tale of how even enemies can come together to protect those who need protection.
LA GUERRE DES BOUTONS La Guerre Des Boutons was an amazing movie, simply put. This movie depicts the rowdiness of young boys perfectly. It reminded me of the old English movie ‘Little Rascals’. It was fun and entertaining to watch as Lebrac and the rest of the boys tried to defeat the boys of the other village and collect their buttons. I was able to connect to them, having been exactly like them myself. I found that the younger Gibuse brother was especially cute. His comments added an adorable comic relief. It was also interesting to see the romance accumulate between Lebrac and Violette as well as between Simone and the teacher. One could see the effect the second world war had on both of the villages. Militants and rebels were seen a lot. The main focus of this movie, aside from boyish games, was the way Jews were treated in Germany occupied France. I enjoyed the inspiring yet comical way both villages came together to protect Simone and Violette, especially between the previously warring boys. This movie is based on a true story, so it was relieving to find out that all turned out to be well in the end for everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie. It has many different aspects that neatly link together throughout. It is filled with playground humor, and has a satirical view of the soldiers who work for the Germans. It is filled with teenage and adult romance. If felt heartbroken when Lebrac and the Gubuse brothers were debuttoned, even though they had held up the white flag. This film has an array of emotions and themes. What’s great is that it all ties very well together. It is a truly inspiring, amazing, and an outright hilarious movie that I would definitely recommend to others. Pranav
Rebecca Berger FRN 201 18 September 2017 La Guerre des Boutons
La Guerre des Boutons is about the boys in two neighboring villages “at war” with each other. If a boy is to be captured, the others will then take the buttons off that boys clothing to show who has the power. While the film taking place during World War II, a young Jewish girl, Violette, attempts to hide in their village from the Nazis. A statement that the director was making throughout the movie was to put your differences aside and love one another. This is shown when the boys find out why Violette was in their village. They put their differences aside and made the girl’s safety their priority. I knew that the French were very important in WWII. Every film I have seen regarding the French in WWII, they seem to be hiding a Jewish family. However, they seem to always get caught by the Nazis no matter how hard they try. In La Guerre des Boutons, the director provides a happier ending by Violette and her family being able to go off again, uncaptured. I liked this film and would recommend it. I have always loved learning about the Holocaust and this film has a light feel on the topic. It helps get the message across without any bore or gore that is associated with learning about a previous war.
Kamal Starks
RépondreSupprimerFRN 201
10/14/16
La Guerre Des Boutons
La Guerre Des Boutons was a movie takes place in France during the Second World War; two rival children gangs set aside their differences to help protect a Jewish girl from the police who are grabbing Jewish families from their home. The director’s motif’s in this film was to visually show the viewer your worst enemy could become your greatest ally. This motif is visualized in the movie by showing the rough battles of the rival gang where they use wooden swords and knives to steal the buttons to of the opposing gang; as soon as the young girl wins the heart of both leaders; they come together to help protect her. In the movie, the police officers that were taking Jewish people from their homes, they used a similar uniform as a modern day French officer would wear. I knew from my history classes in previous years that a lot of countries abandoned Jews from their society, however I didn’t think they did that in France. Maybe it was fear of losing the war to the Germans and the French non-Jewish people would get a more server punishment. My vision of France after watching the movie hasn’t changed much. I’ve went to Paris and Montpeiller for an extended period of time and I noticed that their were narrow streets and tons of open fields. I enjoyed the movie, the young kids were adorable with amazing French accent, also the fight scenes between the two rivals felt like I was one of the boys getting ready to punch a kid in the face.
Yea, I wasn't aware that they did that in France either. I agree, I think they did anything they could to try and stay out of Germanys way.
SupprimerThe movie “La guerre des buttons” concerns the rivalry between boys from two neighboring villages - Longeverne & Velrans - and how their battles play out against the backdrop of Nazi occupied France. As the rivalry escalates into violence, tensions in the village & anticipation against the Nazis grows more intense. The safety of a newest arrive - a Jewish girl - becomes threatened after the mayor’s son makes up a speculation to spite the other boys, but luckily, the boys are able to overcome their regional differences and join the townspeople in protecting her from SS men.
RépondreSupprimerThis movie is mostly about the power of friendship, and the necessity for forgiveness. A reoccurring theme especially was about putting yourself in another person’s shoes: Simone snapped at the school teacher because she assumed he wasn’t acting in the resistance, Lebrac fought with his father because they each assumed the other was being intentionally cruel, the boys tortured Bacaille because they thought he betrayed their hideaway to the Velrans, etc. Even the main conflict of the boys - the “War of the Buttons” -was started over a small misconception about “boundary lines.” Through use of irony and omnipresence, the director really made the viewer feel like many of the conflicts that occurred in this story could’ve been avoided if the characters attempted to understand each other - instead of choosing the easier, but ultimately more devastating, action of lashing out.
This idea of misunderstanding - specifically, of not willing to even attempt understanding - also provides an underlying commentary about the violence that came about during World War II, or the setting of this entire movie. It held up many of the ideas I had already heard about little villages during Nazi occupation: that many small villages avoided the huge massacres of Jewish people, homosexual, etc. but didn’t stop the little instances that did happen in their villages for fear of it turning into a larger scale provocation. For the most part, this movie followed that stereotype; the exception comes at the very end when everyone in the town comes together to protect Myriam, the Jewish girl. Apart from that, and the intense rivalry between two little villages in the Loire valley, which I can see happening often in a rural setting, I didn’t really learn much of anything new about the French people during World War II. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful little movie. It was very reminiscent of Petit Nicolas. I did really enjoy the development of Myriam and Lebrac, and the cinematography was beautiful, but to be completely honest I don’t know if I’d watch it again. It was nice, but nothing spectacular, and most of the story I had already heard before in. Plus the little boy character got a bit too annoying at times. 3/5 stars.
I like how you pointed out the theme of putting yourself in another's shoes because I feel like that was such a major point. Also I totally agree that the little boy got a little annoying.
SupprimerThe movie was a big metaphor for the war. Two parties, or in this case two groups of kids that are fighting over power and territory. Throughout the film, we learn about a growing friendship between a young jewish, city girl named Violette, and a young-rural farm boy named Lebrac, whom was in charge of the gang. In the end of the film when the Nazis police enforcers in their small village try to take the Jewish girl everyone works together to try and help her. Even the two young warrior groups help hide Violette from the police.
RépondreSupprimerObviously the director is showing the viewers what life was like during this time period, especially in small villages far outside the big cities. Not very many kids even knew what the big deal with the Jews was, like Lebrac. Also to show what lengths people went through to protect and hide children. Parents would send their young kids to small farms or villages in attempts of hiding them from the Nazis.
I did not know that France had that big of a part in protecting young children from the Nazis. Some of the villagers had purchased weapons in case there was every a raid of Nazis in their town. It must have been scary to play a role in protecting kids like Violette from the Nazis. They put their lives and the lives of their families on the line. Yes, I would recommend this film to others. It was interesting and showed a different perspective of Nazis going to certain lengths to try and catch all the Jews.
Great points. I also think it offered a unique perspective of historical France. I had no idea that children were sent to France to escape persecution.
SupprimerThe War of the Buttons takes place during World War II and follows a group of boys who get into a fight with another group of boys from a neighboring town. They begin to steal each other’s buttons in order to win. During this time as well, a young Jewish girl called Violette is in hiding from the Nazis in their town.
RépondreSupprimerI think one of the major messages from the director was setting aside differences when it matters. Toward the end of the movie, a lot of the conflicting groups had to come together to protect Violette. We see Lebrac and his father feuding throughout the film, but working together as if nothing happened in order to protect her. The leader from the rival group, went out of his way to help them out, even though their two groups had been at “war” during the entire movie. Though these different groups had their obvious differences, they had the same values, and could work together in the face of true evil. I also think another theme was the idea of innocence. During the film, the real war is at contrast with the children’s war. It’s clear the kids don’t have a full understanding of what’s happening until the end of the film when the threat becomes very real.
I knew that France played a big role in World War II, and so in that aspect, I didn’t really learn anything new about France. I didn’t know that they hid Jewish children from the Nazis during the war. I really enjoyed the movie. I thought it was cute and funny at times, but still had a very good message and showed a new perspective during World War II. I really liked the ending of it and how Lebrac and Violette remained friends. I would definitely recommend this movie to someone.
Lauren Vana
I totally agree with both of your points. It seemed as if everyone in the town besides the military police were all truly on the same side and it just took a dire moment to remind people of what was truly important -Tom
SupprimerWar of the Buttons follows Lebrac, a poor student who takes an interest in war strategy through “fighting” the boys of the neighboring town by cutting off their buttons. He takes an interest in Violette, a young Jewish girl who recently moved to town to hide from the Nazi Regime.
RépondreSupprimerI found this movie to be both very touching--juggling dark themes--and very funny. It notably tackles the themes of violence and respect. A moment that really stuck out for me was when the mayor’s son was kicked out of the Longeverne boys’ group, tortured into revealing the location of their hideout, and tortured again for giving the information. When he was about to be whipped by Lebrac, Violette spat “don’t act like a Nazi!” It showed the internal struggle of what constitutes ethical behavior growing up during a war.
Sacrifice was also a recurring theme. A very memorable scene was when the two Gibus boys were having their buttons cut off and Lebrac jumped in to save them. They managed to run away, but Lebrac was overpowered and his buttons were cut off as they looked on from afar, crying. It took a lot out of Lebrac to do that and go through the shame of it, but the Gibus boys were his own and he felt the need and loyalty to save them. When Violette had to flee the Milice, the entire town, unlikely characters and all, helped her. They risked themselves for her safety. I think the greatest part of the movie was when forgiveness entered in the form of Aztec, the leader of the Velrans boys, helping Violette and Lebrac escape.
I would definitely recommend this movie. The vivacious boys won me over and I cheered both with them and against them. Little Gibus made me laugh a lot, the cinematography was beautiful, and score wove through the story very well.
I agree with you that this movie does a good job conveying a serious topic while making it humorous. It makes the movie different than what's already out for this specific genre of films which tends to be very serious. Like you said, this movie is filmed with themes of forgiveness, sacrifice, and respect which makes it such a good movie because we can take away something from that. I also think it was very nice that they decided that Violette and Lebrac continued to be friends long after the war. The cinematography of the villages was beautiful and the soundtrack really did bring it all together.
Supprimer:)
The film takes place during World War II that follows a group of school boys lead by Lebrac in France. The boys are in "war" with another group of boys from a different village. While capturing one of the members of each gang they cut off the buttons of their articles of clothing, thus giving the movie its name. They are constantly fighting over territory, but never meet eye to eye until they come together to save a young Jewish girl from the Nazis.
RépondreSupprimerA statement/argument the director is trying to convey from this film is something we learned when we were young, but should be reinforced from time to time. It is that everyone deserves respect. An example shown in the film is where one Lebrun's boys was a "traitor" for telling the enemy where their hide-out was. The other group of boys then set it on fire destroying their shack. All the boys went around and whipped the "traitor" with a belt torturting him. Their teacher then goes on to say that everyone deserves respect and a fair trail no matter that they did. This can also be seen in how they Nazis didn't treat Jewish people as people, but as something less.
I have seen multiple movies about WWII and one that I remember watching in my other French class was Au Revoir des Enfants. Most WWII movies have a similar plot line where a Jewish person is hiding with the French and they never seem to end well. But this director actually gave us a happy ending which I did not see coming. I also knew that France was housing Jewish people during the real WWII and the film reinforced that.
What is your reaction to the film? What have you learned? What surprises you? What would you like to learn more about? Would you recommend this film to others?
To be completely honest, I didn't want to watch this movie once I started it. I thought it was going to be some other really sad WWII movie like Au Revoir Des Enfants or The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas. But it was actually very cute, and made you want to think. That even those these young boys were playing war there was an actual war going on, and it was good to see them set aside their difference to help. I also makes you remember that things like this actually happened, and it should be forgotten so history doesn't repeat itself, I think thats the reason movies about this topic exist. I would recommend this movie to anyone.
La Guerre Des Boutons was a film that followed the lives of several children living in a small town on the country side of France during WWII. The film focused in on a young teen named Lebrac who with his friends, waged a war on the children of another town for "turf". Throughout the film, the children all learned the concepts of gain, loss, and peace through the befriending of a young Jewish girl known as Violette. Though the boys had their differences, they came together in order to make sure that Violette was safe.
RépondreSupprimerThe reoccurring idea throughout the film was to put differences aside and to love one another. I think that the director did a good job displaying this idea through the characters, especially L'Aztec, who at first saw no end to the war between he and Lebrac. However when it came down to something real, he knew that things weren't just fun and games anymore.
Within the film there was an internal conflict between those from the city and those from the country, which makes me wonder if this is still an issue in current day France. Another thing that I found interesting is the fact that the children looked to Napoleon as a great king, which was not what I personally was taught in history.
While watching this and other French films I couldn't help but notice that the characters with children are always so strict and harsh on them. For example, a lot of the children stated that they are used to being beaten, and Violette was even going to lie for Lebrac so that he wouldn't get punished. Those parts of the films are always kind of disturbing to me. However, the film overall was very funny, and it was nice to see kids have fun. Though the topic of the film was very serious, the director found ways to make war seem innocent. I would recommend this movie to others.
Tom Kelliher
RépondreSupprimerFrench 201
Film Response 3
La Guerre des Boutons is a film about a gang of boys from a small town who go to “war” with another rival gang. Consumed with their battles they fight childish wars of embarrassment and shame against the backdrop of World War Two. Things become complicated when a victim of the war of the buttons spills some truths about Violette a recently arrived girl. The entire town including the gangs of young boys, now working together, work in unison to bring Violette to safety.
I think the main theme of this film was how characters developed into people you’d never expect them to be. The teacher turned out to be the leader of the French resistance, the father of the protagonist was a member of the resistance, and the protagonist himself turned out to be much more than the class dunce he was labeled as. Aside from that there was also the theme of parallels between the children’s war and the adults’ war. In a war torn France it seemed as if the children were eager and even yearning to protect what little “turf” they had left. They felt the need to stick up for themselves and their families and I believe this was a reflection of the national mindset in a childish format. One thing I’m curious about is how serene and calm life in the village appeared even though there was a war going on as well as Jews being arrested. There was a scene where the parents of a child were hesitant and reluctant to speak ill of the Germans and I wonder if there were actually French people in favor of the occupation.
I would most certainly recommend this movie to others because it tells a lighthearted yet warming tale of how even enemies can come together to protect those who need protection.
LA GUERRE DES BOUTONS
RépondreSupprimerLa Guerre Des Boutons was an amazing movie, simply put. This movie depicts the rowdiness of young boys perfectly. It reminded me of the old English movie ‘Little Rascals’. It was fun and entertaining to watch as Lebrac and the rest of the boys tried to defeat the boys of the other village and collect their buttons. I was able to connect to them, having been exactly like them myself. I found that the younger Gibuse brother was especially cute. His comments added an adorable comic relief. It was also interesting to see the romance accumulate between Lebrac and Violette as well as between Simone and the teacher.
One could see the effect the second world war had on both of the villages. Militants and rebels were seen a lot. The main focus of this movie, aside from boyish games, was the way Jews were treated in Germany occupied France. I enjoyed the inspiring yet comical way both villages came together to protect Simone and Violette, especially between the previously warring boys. This movie is based on a true story, so it was relieving to find out that all turned out to be well in the end for everyone.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie. It has many different aspects that neatly link together throughout. It is filled with playground humor, and has a satirical view of the soldiers who work for the Germans. It is filled with teenage and adult romance. If felt heartbroken when Lebrac and the Gubuse brothers were debuttoned, even though they had held up the white flag. This film has an array of emotions and themes. What’s great is that it all ties very well together. It is a truly inspiring, amazing, and an outright hilarious movie that I would definitely recommend to others.
Pranav
Rebecca Berger
RépondreSupprimerFRN 201
18 September 2017
La Guerre des Boutons
La Guerre des Boutons is about the boys in two neighboring villages “at war” with each other. If a boy is to be captured, the others will then take the buttons off that boys clothing to show who has the power. While the film taking place during World War II, a young Jewish girl, Violette, attempts to hide in their village from the Nazis.
A statement that the director was making throughout the movie was to put your differences aside and love one another. This is shown when the boys find out why Violette was in their village. They put their differences aside and made the girl’s safety their priority.
I knew that the French were very important in WWII. Every film I have seen regarding the French in WWII, they seem to be hiding a Jewish family. However, they seem to always get caught by the Nazis no matter how hard they try. In La Guerre des Boutons, the director provides a happier ending by Violette and her family being able to go off again, uncaptured.
I liked this film and would recommend it. I have always loved learning about the Holocaust and this film has a light feel on the topic. It helps get the message across without any bore or gore that is associated with learning about a previous war.