CINÉCO : LA BATAILLE DE GAULLE – L’AGE DE FER

The Iron Age (Part 1) / I Write Your Name (Part 2) – France, 2026, 2 hours 40 minutes – Directed by Antonin Baudry, starring Simon Abkarian, Simon Russell Beale and Florian Lesieur – History & Action

June 1940. France is collapsing and signs the armistice. Amidst the chaos, one man refuses to give in. Alone against all odds, this unknown general flees to London to save what remains of a dream: freedom. Without an army, without support, without hope. But with a mad conviction: France – his France – has not laid down its arms. He makes one final gamble: to convince the world that the Battle of France is neither over nor lost. Reality is stubborn, and proves him wrong. But little by little, resistance fighters operating in the shadows, rebellious school pupils and determined soldiers begin to rally around him in England, France and Africa. Their faith, their daring and their thirst for freedom defy a course of history that seemed, nevertheless, to have been written in advance.
This film is not merely a work that seeks to impress us by flexing its muscles. It is also a film that demonstrates a certain intelligence in its portrayal of General de Gaulle. This is largely thanks to Simon Abkarian, who manages to convey, through the minutest details of facial expressions and the inflections of his voice, the fragility of a man who must constantly strive to keep up a brave face. At last, a French blockbuster that lives up to its ambitions.