Review of Overlord (1975) by Chase K — 13 Oct 2008

[font=Georgia][color=black]Well, I finally got my hands on a copy of [i]The 400 Blows[/i], and it was predictably great. The best Francois Truffaut movie that I've seen and ranks along side [i]Contempt[/i] (Godard) as one of the best of the French New Wave films that I've seen so far.[/color][/font].

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[font=Georgia][color=#000000]It's just a simple story about poverty and pre-teen angst at first - albeit really well shot and crafted - but I really like the way it explores the fears and anxieties of young children while also playing out as somewhat of an expose on juvenile hospitality in post-war France. I thought it was great the way that Truffaut almost justified the fact that the boy was a real pain in the ass - the film is enhanced because of it being semi-autobiographical. Very good, great ending.[/color][/font].

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[font=Georgia][color=#000000][i]Overlord[/i] is an interesting British war-film, consisting of about half stock World War II footage and half live-action shooting (as in filming). The two constrast almost seemlessly, and that alone deserves recognition and praise.[/color][/font].

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[font=Georgia][color=#000000]The narrative is purposely fractured with the stock footage serving as a break, and it's non-linear almost from the start. Fundamentally, it covers a soldier from his boot camp arrival to the invasion of D-Day, but the real star in this movie is how director Stuart Cooper makes this film look so damn great. Sometimes it almost feels like an early 40's documentary and the stock footage is astonishing if your a World War II buff. I recommend it.[/color][/font].