|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
La Bandera | Year: 1939 Classification: Foreign Film - French Directed: - Julien Duvivier True warriors and not sorry imitations... I must confess I have rated it five stars because the novel is very good, and even if the film can't give justice to the scope or deepness of the plot for lack of film time (actually the end of the novel is far more interesting and less abrupt) it is a fair transcript of it, the direction is very good and Gabin shows what will make him an icon of french "cinematographie".<BR>A "Bandera" was'nt a flag (but you still call a flag "bandera" too!), it's the name used to refer a battalion in "Tercio" organisation (originally two companies of fusiliers/grenadiers and one of machine-guns at first, and quite fast another company of fusiliers/grenadiers was added...), the Tercio expanded from Three Banderas to eventually Eight up to 1927.<BR>I do not know who influenced who either William Wellman was influenced by it or the oposite as some scenes of his "Beau Geste" are quite similar in "cadre" (as when the troops are formed inside the fort before going to be split in "Beau Geste" causing the forced separation of the brothers, and in "La Bandera" it's the asking for "voluntarios" to go to certain death in a quasi suicidal mission, probably inspired in true fact as per "el blocao de la muerte"... see the excellent work "The Betrothed of Death" in english to know details about it...).<BR>Now, Spain was well past his Might and Glory in the XXth century (having lost his remainig overseas possessions Cuba and the Phillipinnes to the USA in 1898), and was/is a poorer country than France, so his Foreign Legion, the true embrio of a professional army (really the name never catched and has always been known as the "Tercio" or the "Legion", and quite properly as his composition has never been so full of foreigners as his french model...) has'nt received the publicity or even their fare share of recognition as military values go, and undoubtedly hampered by their use in a cruel civil war ...<BR>Rating the film lower will be not very just if you have in mind the time of shooting (1939),and it's more fair to compare it with "Morocco" that to "Beau Geste" due to the difference in budget and technical suport.<BR>The REAL TROOPS used in the film are an unexpected bonus in it, and lovers of military history and uniformology will love it just for that (as I did). The military record of the Legion and his reputation is second to none and is particularly heroic in it's beginnings, Millan-Astray was the founder and true spirit behind it (and not a fascist at all, see his biography...) and Franco the soldier (not the dictator) was the brains behind him.<BR>I was born in Barcelona and the scenes filmed in location are really nostalgic.<BR>If you are able to watch it without prejudice, and concentrate in the Legion virtues forged by Milan-Astray, wich inspires the antics of the captain of Gabin/Gillieth company... then you'll watch a warriors film, and probably quite "true" for his time and not at all Hollywoodesque , (and forget the Spanish Civil War for two Buy La Bandera at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on La Bandera Search with the Priority Search Engine on La Bandera This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
