Rent The Guardians (2017)
3.6 of 5 from 241 ratings
2h 9min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- France 1915. The impact of the First World War is being felt across Europe as conscription forces the men to leave their homes for the battlefield. Hortense, realising she has to hold up her family's farm with less than half the labour force hires a helping hand, Francine. The young woman works hard and, with the arrival of Hortense's son Georges, finally feels she has a place she can call home. As the battle rages on, these women unite to keep both their family and society from collapsing.
- Actors:
- Nathalie Baye, Laura Smet, Iris Bry, Cyril Descours, Gilbert Bonneau, Olivier Rabourdin, Nicolas Giraud, Mathilde Viseux, Xavier Maly, Marie-Julie Maille, Madeleine Beauvois, Alain Artur, Adrien Denizou, Yann Bean, Michel Lamy, Laurence Havard, Katia Henkel, Anne-Cécile Le Quere, Viviane Pavillon, Emilie Texier
- Directors:
- Xavier Beauvois
- Writers:
- Xavier Beauvois, Marie-Julie Maille
- Aka:
- Les Gardiennes
- Studio:
- Curzon / Artificial Eye
- Genres:
- Drama
- Collections:
- Cinema and the First World War, Drama Films & TV
- Countries:
- France
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Reviews (6) of The Guardians
A visual treat - The Guardians review by TE
The spirit of Thomas Hardy lives on in this quietly epic tale of love and continuity in rural France during the First World War.
The cinematography is brilliant, with scene after scene capturing the feel of the best French landscape painting. This is supported by careful attention to detail in the hard farm work that provides a constant backdrop.
After all the WW1 commemorations of the last 4 years, it is refreshing to see a film about the lives of the women who kept things going back home.
7 out of 7 members found this review helpful.
Waiting. - The Guardians review by RhysH
The dream sequence which shows shooting and killing is the least effective in portraying the horror of war. The reality of war is reflected in the lives of the people left behind, they can do nothing but wait and wait and quite often despair.
The three leading actors at the heart of the drama, Nathalie Baye, Laura Smet and in particular Iris Brey are outstanding.
The film is suffused with powerful acting and is beautifully shot.
3 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Slow but I like slow so that's ok for me. - The Guardians review by DW
Modern slow-moving films intended for International distribution invariably have minimal dialogue in order to make them entirely compatible with sub-titles: good news for me because I can now enjoy a wide range of non-British films. (Consequently, it's become clear to me that "same old, same old" British films are being left behind in terms of entertainment value).
Minimal dialogue leans heavily on the need for more expressive & interpretive acting: this film is a strong example. From the audience's point of view, we're required to "understand" the film by closely watching the actors (rather than listening to them) & make our own judgements as to the message we're being given. A most enjoyable experience.
The ending felt like the end of a chapter but not the end of the book so I was happy to be left with my own ideas of what subsequently happened to who, when, why & how: a sort of thought provoking after-film guessing game.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.