Rent Wooden Crosses (1932)
3.8 of 5 from 61 ratings
1h 55min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
The film that most firmly established the talent of French director Raymond Bernard before his epic adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les miserables, Wooden Crosses (Le croix de bois) was widely hailed at the time of its release in 1932 for its searing depiction of the horrors of the European front during World War I; subsequently, Bernard was named soldier of honour of the 39th Infantry Division. Adapted from a novel by Roland Dorgeles (a former corporal of the 39th), Wooden Crosses offers a kaleidoscope of cinematographic technique to present a visceral, enveloping recreation of one regiment's experience of battlefield hell. (Its entire cast is comprised of war veterans.) It is an epic tapestry that rivals John Ford's Four Sons and Lewis Milestone's All Quiet on the Western Front in both its poetry of trauma and steadfastness of conviction that war must be held in contempt.
From a gorgeous new Pathe restoration carried out for the centenary for the start of the Great War, Raymond Bernard's Wooden Crosses retains a ferocity that continues to reverberate across generations- Actors:
- Pierre Blanchar, Gabriel Gabrio, Charles Vanel, Raymond Aimos, Antonin Artaud, Paul Azaïs, René Bergeron, Raymond Cordy, Marcel Delaître, Jean Galland, Pierre Labry, Geo Laby, René Montis, Jean-François Martial, Marc Valbel
- Directors:
- Raymond Bernard
- Writers:
- Raymond Bernard, Roland Dorgelès
- Aka:
- Les croix de bois
- Studio:
- Eureka
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Drama
- Collections:
- A Brief History of French Poetic Realism, A Brief History of the Tradition of Quality, All the Twos: 1902-62, Cinema and the First World War
- Countries:
- France
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 30/03/2015
- Run Time:
- 115 minutes
- Languages:
- French LPCM Mono, German LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- None
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.19:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Video interview with historian Marc Ferro arm film historian Laurent Wray
- A short documentary on the new restoration
- Wooden Crosses: A Sonic Adventure, documentary exploring early sound design
- Archival interviews with Raymond Bernard and author Roland Dorgeles
- Vintage 1914 newsreels
- Documentary piece on early 20th century poster artist Adrian Barrere
- The Absent Battle, the Omnipresent War, a collection of photography from WWI taken by Andre Schnellbach who served with Dorgeles in the 39th
