A One Mann’s Movies review of “De Gaulle: Liberté”. (2026, 4*, 15).
Original title: La bataille de Gaulle: J’écris ton nom
The second part of the French-produced mega-production, De Gaulle: Liberté follows on from the fabulous De Gaulle: Résistance that I saw at the back end of last month. The second part is still brilliant – a truly impressive production in its ambition and scope – but, for me, fails to quite meet the bar of the first film. But once again, it is an intriguing take on an aspect of the war I really knew nothing about.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
The film starts in January 1943. De Gaulle (Simon Abkarian) is still proving to be a right (un-) royal pain in the backside of the Allied forces as they attempt to seize North African. Although the guerrilla unit of General Leclerc (Niels Schneider) is achieving phenomenal results in the region, he is pro-De Gaulle and the free-French movement and refuses to fall under the command of General Henri Giraud (Thierry Lhermitte): the much preferred French leader of the Allies, and particularly President Roosevelt (Campbell Scott).
Certification:
UK: 15; US: NR. (From the BBFC website: “Strong violence, injury detail, threat.”)
Talent:
Starring: Simon Abkarian, Niels Schneider, Anamaria Vartolomei, Félix Kysyl, Thierry Lhermitte, Karim Leklou, Loïc Corbery, Campbell Scott, Grégoire Colin, Stephen Campbell Moore, Simon Russell Beale, Daniel Betts.
Directed by: Antonin Baudry.
Written by: Antonin Baudry, Bérénice Vila. (Adapted from the book ‘A Certain Idea of France’ by Julian T. Jackson.)
Running Time: 2h 37m.
Review:
Positives:
- Once again, the film hits you between the eyes with its scale and ambition. We begin with a skirmish in the North African desert, seeing the action from the viewpoint of the defenders as the forces of General Leclerc storm into the camp like a whirlwind of death. Not just in jeeps and on foot: but on a massive herd of camels! I’m sure a whole load of camels and their riders are quite easy and cheap to procure in some of these locations. But I just thought “WOW, this is how to stage a spectacular action scene”. For once again, it is some of the set piece action elements that really impress: the Battle of Ksar Ghilane (fought on March 10, 1943, in southern Tunisia) sees Leclerc’s forces taking on a whole German tank division and it is spectacular stuff. Although somewhat over dramatised in the film, my reading up on it suggests that it largely happened as shown.
- Elsewhere, we are engaged in more of the political skulduggery that filled the first film, with De Gaulle jousting with Churchill and Roosevelt at every opportunity. An extended sequence sees him stubbornly burning every amendment of an accord between himself and Giraud as officials increasingly tear their hair out.
- Once again, there are historical details that were new to me.
- There is a fascinating map of Europe, shown at one point, that shows how the allies were intent on carving up the spoils. (It also shows England as stretching all the way over into Wales, which I found hilarious! (Blood American geography!)
- The concept of American printing their own version of French money to be able to control the currency was a surprise to me. (“Huh” sniffs De Gaulle when he passes a huge stack of the money “We can use these for firelighters this winter”!)
- Future Prime-Minister Harold Macmillan (Stephen Campbell Moore) appears wrapped fully in bandages. This is true to reality: at the time he was Britain’s Minister Resident in Algiers and had just survived a severe plane crash on February 22, 1943.
- The other angle extended in this film are the exploits of the Free French Resistance, with the human element of that remaining Livia (Anamaria Vartolomei) from the first film. Now in Lyon, she is working with Jean Moulin (Félix Kysyl), aka “Rex”, who is desperately trying to reach political agreement on an alternative (non-Vichy) government amongst a bunch of squabbling children. A ruse involving a surprise Gestapo attack and a phone call is very entertaining! These sequences of the film are extremely tense as the Free French are hunted down like dogs.
- I really liked the way in which the film interwove real newsreel footage into the film, notably for the D-Day landings (no Pressure style recreations here!) and the liberation of Paris.
- The film has some great quotes:
- “These days being French is a complicated thing”
- “Sometimes it takes a rascal to run a country” (Churchill)
- “Where’s that gap in the weather I was promised?” – on D-Day, nicely linking the film to the wonderful Pressure, also now out.
Negatives:
- This is not a film that I think will play well in the US, since it really portrays the US (and particularly Roosevelt) as a villain of the piece.
- I have to compare it with the first film and in doing so I don’t think this is *quite* up to the same standard. What really helped the first film was the love story between Fernand (Florian Lesieur) and Livia (Anamaria Vartolomei) and – for obvious reasons – that is missing from this second film. As such, the film felt a bit colder and more ‘politically focused’. (But don’t get me wrong… it is still magnifique!)
Summary Thoughts:
A real triumph of a film series and, put together as a 5 hour bum-numbing epic, I think this one is bound to get a slot somewhere in my Top 20 for the year.
I understand, by the way, that there are some cinemas due to be showing a double bill of the two films together in the next week or two, so if you missed seeing the first film, this is your chance to catch both on the big screen. And this IS a movie experience worth watching on the biggest screen possible, although I did read a rumour that both films might also be available to rent via streaming from the start of October.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6MRNchmZkY.
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