a review of 317分队

I’m pretty Impressed by this realistic, ahead-of-its-time French anti-war film that was created in a time when most war movies were US-centric heroic victory fantasies, featuring Hollywood actors like John Wayne, and guns with unlimited ammunition. The 317th Platoon could be regarded as a very credible French prelude to Oliver Stone’s 1987 Platoon film, 22 years before he made that, and The 317th Platoon is not less realistic. It is a convincing, pragmatic narrative of what war is about: a brotherhood of disillusioned men, being confronted with boredom, anxiety, hunger, disease, violence and death on a daily basis. The 317th Platoon is not an action movie, it feels more like a report, an authentic portrayal of everyday life of soldiers in wartime. There is no heroism, just survival. Some might find it boring, I found it well worth my time. A hidden gem, as far as I'm concerned.