Capitaine Conan on AllMovie

A quiet but powerful argument against war, this drama from Bertrand Tavernier chronicles a dark period in French military history. Set on the Bulgarian border in 1918 just before the end of WW I, it centers on the struggles of the heroic Captain Conan, a warrior's warrior beloved by both his men and local harlots alike, but despised by his superiors for his constant insubordination and his undisguised disdain for their ways. Conan's closest friend is the intellectual Norbert. After many battle scenes, the war finally ends and Conan's troops are left in Bucharest to await their orders. It is a long wait and they become difficult to control. Conan's friendship with Norbert is torn asunder when the latter is appointed a military legal representative charged with keeping Conan and his crew in line. When later, a soldier is scheduled for execution after being charged with desertion, the two old friends mend their friendship to help him. Afterward, Conan returns to the front to resume fighting, even though there is no longer any cause to do so.