The Guardians Les Gardiennes
An affecting human drama of love, loss, and strength unfolds against the backdrop of World War I. The women of the Paridier farm, under the deft hand of Hortense, the family's matriarch, must grapple with the workload while the men, are off at the front. New tools allow the women to triumph over the land, newfound independence is acquired, yet emotions are stirred when the men return.
Nominated for four awards, including Best Cinematography and Most Promising Actress (Iris Bry) at the Cesar Awards. Nominated for Best International Film at the the Munich Film Festival.
"Like a series of Monet paintings come to life, the historical drama THE GUARDIANS luxuriates in lush, widescreen images of the French countryside." - Christy Lemire, RobertEbert.com
Running Time
135 mins
Year
2017
Kanopy ID
6432066
Filmmakers
Features
Cyril Descours, Gilbert Bonneau, Iris Bry, Laura Smet, Mathilde Visuex, Nathalie Baye, Nicolas Giraud, Olivier Rabourdin, Ophelie-Marion Debiais, Yann Bean
Languages
Subjects
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Comments (4)
A beautiful, beautifully made film that somehow, by taking the POV of those left behind, makes the loss of their husbands, sons, and lovers all the more poignant. These women are farmers married to farmers who, when men are called to the front, double or triple their work, try to keep their ...Read more
A beautiful, beautifully made film that somehow, by taking the POV of those left behind, makes the loss of their husbands, sons, and lovers all the more poignant. These women are farmers married to farmers who, when men are called to the front, double or triple their work, try to keep their families intact, and just keeping trudging, hopefully, toward better times. The performances, especially by Nathalie Baye and Iris Bry, are exceptional. Pet peeve: do wish critics like the one quoted above would stop comparing every French period piece to a gd Impressionist! The paintings are great, but this is film. Maybe ask how deftly Beauvois foreshadows the death of one character and the survival of another. It's as subtle and nuanced as any painting. (End of peeve)
Read lessSad throughout, though stunning visuals, excellent performances, and upbeat ending.
Lovely! Good performances. Strong story from women's point of view. Wish there had been another 20 minutes, though, I didn't want it to end.
Clearly women are more likely the ones ruining another women's lives. In this story, the lady of the household, the owner of the farm, put the mother of her own grandson on the street!