''The Officers' Ward'' (), is a

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

French film The cinema of France comprises the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe, with prima ...

, directed by François Dupeyron and starring Eric Caravaca as the central character. It was based on the

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

by Marc Dugain, which in turn was based on the experiences of one of the author's own ancestors during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The film received nine nominations at the 27th César Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for André Dussollier and Best Cinematography for Tetsuo Nagata.

Plot

The film concentrates more on the period spent in hospital than the novel, and emphasizes the horror of the friends' injuries. On Adrien's arrival at the ward, all the mirrors are removed and staff are instructed not to give him one, but we see from the faces of others how bad the damage is. Adrien becomes increasingly desperate to see the damage done to his face, even asking a visitor to draw him. Dupeyron ensures that we do not see the horrifying extent of Adrien's injuries until he does - by seeing his reflection in a window. There is a focus on the fleeting romance between Adrien and Clémence, whom he met by chance shortly before the war, and his attempts to find her. When he finally does, she fails to recognise him. Whereas the novel follows the experiences of the group right up to World War II and beyond, the film ends just after the First World War, the final scene being Adrien's chance meeting with his future wife.

Cast

* Eric Caravaca : Adrien * Denis Podalydès : Henri * Grégori Derangère : Pierre *

Sabine Azéma Sabine Azéma (born 20 September 1949) is a French stage and film actress and director. Born in Paris, she graduated from the Paris Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Career Her film career began in 1975. Azéma appeared in '' A Sunday in the C ...

: Anaïs * André Dussollier : The surgeon * Isabelle Renauld : Marguerite *

Géraldine Pailhas Géraldine Pailhas (born 8 January 1971) is a French actress. Career In 1992, she won the César Award for Most Promising Actress for her role in ''La neige et le feu'', directed by Claude Pinoteau. She had her first international success in ...

: Clémence *

Jean-Michel Portal Jean-Michel Portal (born 29 May 1970 in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in ...

: Alain * Xavier De Guillebon : Louis * Elise Tielrooy : Nurse Cécile * Catherine Arditi : Adrien's mother * Paul Le Person : Adrien's grandfather * Annie Mercier : Brothel madame

Awards and nominations

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

(France) **Nominated: Golden Palm (François Dupeyron) *

César Awards The César Award is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the ' ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Min ...

(France) **Won: Best Cinematography (Tetsuo Nagata) **Won: Best Actor – Supporting Role (André Dussollier) **Nominated: Best Actor – Leading Role (Eric Caravaca) **Nominated: Best Costume Design (Catherine Bouchard) **Nominated: Best Director (François Dupeyron) **Nominated: Best Film **Nominated: Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation (François Dupeyron) **Nominated: Most Promising Actor (Grégori Derangère and Jean-Michel Portal)

References

External links

* 2001 films 2001 drama films French drama films 2000s French-language films Films directed by François Dupeyron Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor César Award–winning performance Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography César Award Films set on the French home front during World War I 2000s French films French-language drama films {{2000s-France-film-stub