Directed by:
Serge de SampignyCast:
Jacques Gamblin (narrator), Charles de Gaulle (a.f.), Hermann Göring (a.f.), Adolf Hitler (a.f.), Emperor Wilhelm II (a.f.), Helmut Kohl (a.f.), Philippe Pétain (a.f.), Paul von Hindenburg (a.f.)Plots(1)
From February to December 1916, the French and Germans waged one of the First World War’s most devastating battles in order to take control of the hills around Verdun. A head on confrontation, fought with no help from their allies, army versus army, nation versus nation. 11 months of fighting, over 2 million soldiers mobilised and 300,000 dead. Today, this massacre seems senseless. But in 1916, soldiers on both sides accepted to go into battle. Why? This documentary looks back at this insane battle that was to become the bloodiest chapter of the First World War. Looking back through the personal archives of veterans, delving into their daily lives, their dreams and their nightmares, but also using historical re-enactments and numerous computer-generated images, Verdun, the Battle of the Great War revisits France’s last great victory over Germany. A battle that would become the symbol of nationalist folly and age-old hostility between two nations. (ZED)
(more)Cast
Jacques Gamblin (narrator)
France
Best movies:
The First Day of the Rest of Your Life (2008)
Les Misérables (1995)
The Children of the Marshland (1999)
Charles de Gaulle (a.f.)
France
Best movies:
A Bridge Too Far (1977) - a.f.
Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019) (TV movie) - a.f.
Hermann Göring (a.f.)
German Empire
Best movies:
Zelig (1983) - a.f.
Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever? (1959) - a.f.
The First of the Few (1942) - a.f.
Adolf Hitler (a.f.)
Austria-Hungary
Best movies:
Dangerous: The Short Films (1993) (video compilation) - a.f.
The King's Speech (2010) - a.f.
Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001) (TV movie) - a.f.
Emperor Wilhelm II (a.f.)
Helmut Kohl (a.f.)
German Empire
Best movies:
Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
Die Ermittler: Nur für den Dienstgebrauch (2016) (TV movie)
Philippe Pétain (a.f.)
France
Best movies:
Johnny Got His Gun (1971) - a.f.