Why Le film du poilu feels like a dusty old photo album

If you are looking for a movie with a fast pace or big explosions, stay away from this one. You will probably hate it and find it incredibly boring within the first five minutes.

But if you like the feeling of looking through a box of old photos in a basement, you might actually get something out of Le film du poilu.

It is worth watching today only if you care about how people used to look and move back in 1928. It is a slow, quiet experience that doesn't care about your attention span.

The first thing I noticed was how Robby Guichard carries himself. He has this way of standing that feels very stiff, like he is still wearing a uniform even when he isn't.

There is a scene where he just sits there, and the film is so grainy you can barely see his eyes, but you can feel the weight on him. It is much more grounded than something like The Captive God which feels more like a stage play.

Ninon Gilles is in this too, and she has a face that just works for silent movies. She doesn't have to do much, but the way the light hits her hair makes her look like a ghost from a different world.

I found myself staring at the background more than the actors sometimes. The dirt on the ground looks so real and dry, you can almost smell the dust coming off the screen.

There is this one moment where a character reaches for a drink and his hand shakes just a little bit. I don't think it was acting; I think the actor was just cold or nervous, and they kept it in.

It’s those little accidents that make these old movies better than the polished stuff we get now. It’s definitely not like Anne of Green Gables where everything feels a bit more like a storybook.

The pacing is... well, it’s not really there. It just sort of happens until it stops.

Sometimes a scene goes on for way too long, like the director forgot to say cut because he was distracted.

The weirdness of the silence

You really notice the silence in this one. Some silent movies have a lot of energy, like Scared Stiff, but this one feels like it’s holding its breath.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Le film du poilu (1928) through its definitive frames.

There is a shot of a hat sitting on a table that lasts about thirty seconds. Why? I don't know, but I couldn't look away from it.

Daniel Mendaille shows up and he has this very intense energy that almost feels like he belongs in a different movie. He is a bit much, but in a way that keeps you awake during the slower parts.

I kept thinking about how different this is from Dumb Luck. There is no humor here, just this heavy feeling of trying to remember something that’s already gone.

The outfits are fascinating too. The wool looks so thick and itchy that I felt uncomfortable just watching them walk around in the sun.

There is a lot of flickering in the print I saw. It makes it feel like the movie is struggling to exist, which actually fits the theme of soldiers coming home to a world that doesn't quite fit them anymore.

I wish there was more of a clear ending, but it just sort of fades out. It’s messy and imperfect, and I think that is why it stayed with me after I turned it off.

It’s a lot more interesting than The Hundredth Chance, even if that one has a more 'proper' story structure. This feels like a fragment of a real life.

One specific detail: there is a dog in one scene that looks completely confused about what is happening. He just looks at the camera like 'who are these people?' and it’s the most human part of the whole thing.

The movie doesn't try to explain the war or give you a big lesson. It just shows you these people and lets you sit with them for a while.

If you have the patience, it’s a strange, dusty little trip into the past. 🎥

Don't expect it to make sense in a modern way. Just let the images wash over you and try not to think too much about the plot holes or the jumpy editing.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s something. And sometimes something is enough when it feels this honest about being old and forgotten.