Revisiting the themes of Philippe Faucon’s The Betrayal, this is a harrowing but formulaic insight into the realities experienced by French conscripts during the Algerian War. Cinematographer Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci ably captures the rugged terrain, while the cast conveys the dehumanisation that comes from losing comrades and exacting retribution against the locals.
Rather than offer any historico-political analysis, helmer Siri focuses on the bond between newcomer Benoît Magimel and his hard-bitten sergeant, Albert Dupontel. However, the discussion of duty and divided loyalty might have carried more weight had Siri tackled the dilemmas facing the Algerians fighting the FLN fellaghas.