De Gaulle Biopic Surprises as French Box Office Hit
A two-part film biography of Charles de Gaulle has sold 5.3 million tickets in France, becoming an unexpected summer blockbuster and introducing the WWII
A historical biopic of Charles de Gaulle has become an unexpected box office hit in France, selling 5.3 million tickets. The film's success, reported by The New York Times, has surprised the French film industry, placing it not far behind the 7.3 million tickets sold for Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" this summer.
Directed by Antonin Baudry, "De Gaulle" is a two-part epic starring French-Armenian actor Simon Abkarian. The film portrays the World War II resistance leader as defiant, proud, and unyielding. For many young French people, de Gaulle had existed mainly as a name on schools and public squares before this cinematic revival.
Resonating with Modern Audiences
The film's depiction of de Gaulle's uncompromising style and moral rectitude is reportedly resonating at a time when the French public distrusts many contemporary political leaders. At a recent Paris screening, audience members were visibly moved by de Gaulle's calls to patriotism, with some dabbing their eyes with tissues as the lights came up.
Clashes with the United States
A significant portion of the narrative focuses on de Gaulle's fraught relationship with the United States. His obstinacy is expressed most vividly in clashes with American President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The film portrays Roosevelt as imperious and dismissive, a depiction that stands in contrast to more familiar, gregarious portrayals. This framing of the U.S. As a traditional French boogeyman appears to be a element audiences are relishing.
Industry and Box Office Context
The breakout success of a lengthy political biography was not seen as obvious blockbuster material, even during a record-hot summer that drove people into air-conditioned cinemas. The film's performance highlights a public appetite for historical narrative. Pathé, the film's distributor, has not yet announced plans for a release in the United States.
The film presents de Gaulle as a heroic loner, charting a perilous course. This archetype has drawn comparisons to another summer cinematic hero, Odysseus, though de Gaulle is presented as only slightly less of a historical relic. The movie has brought the resistance leader "gloriously to life," according to the report, making him relevant for a new generation.
