Product Details

• Actors: Gabriel Byrne, Marianne Basler, Paul Wyett, Judge Reinhold, Benoît Régent
• Directors: Larry Parr
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: May 23, 2000
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305835594
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,292 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "A Soldier's Tale" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Gabriel Byrne puts his rough-hewn chivalry to devastating use as the self-appointed protector of a beautiful French woman unjustly condemned by her past in this sneakily engrossing WWII drama. Based on a well-regarded novel by M.K. Joseph, this somber, not particularly cinematic film feels more like an adaptation of a play, with a minimal number of locations and a relentlessly dour world-view (Judge Reinhold's exceedingly broad cameo as a quintessential ugly American does serve to lighten up the mood a bit, albeit probably not in the way that the filmmakers intended). This admirably focused film may be a bit too bleak for some tastes, but Byrne's decidedly unheroic portrayal and an unsettling end sequence make it well worth watching for viewers in a gray state of mind. --Andrew Wright

Product Description

For one brief weekend, their love was all that mattered. It is 1944, Normandy, and British commandos are advancing across France. Camped outside a small town during a lull in the Allied progress, platoon leader Saul (Gabriel Byrne) wanders into the surrounding countryside with his trusted corporal, Charlie (Paul Wyett). Spotting an isolated farmhouse, they come upon a strikingly beautiful woman, Belle (Marianne Basler). Belle coldly rejects Saul's obvious advances. Her discomfort turns to terror with the approach of three armed Frenchmen, who prove to be members of the Resistance. They claim she is a traitor, responsible for the deaths of many Resistance fighters. As they take her away, Saul decides to protect her, turning his gun on the Frenchmen. While the men wait, Saul realizes the hopelessness of his desire to save Belle from the Resistance--and he realizes that he has only one option left to keep Belle safe.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A PASSIONATE WEEKEND, March 21, 2001

By 

Bonita L. Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soldier's Tale [VHS] (VHS Tape)

NORMANDY: 1944. World War II. Imagine yourself a soldier doing what you know best; kill. You kill without feeling for you know if your guard drops then you too will be dead. Your unit stops for a period of rest and you wander through the area. A farm house comes into your view and you see a woman. Only God knows how long you have been without one. Here's one for the taking.

Thus begins this complex story of a British soldier (Gabriel Byrne) whose encounter with an accused collaborator (Marianne Basler) stirs his passion and awakens within him feelings long buried. Transport yourself into time when war makes men into brutes, reduces religion to a mockery and denies people their humanity.

Gabriel Byrne and Marianne Basler give a remarkable performance as two accidental lovers caught up in the whirlwind of war in which there are no black and white answers. Your heart will be throbbing as you witness the dynamics of this couple. Themes of betrayal, objectification of women and lust emerge from this tale. This saga is outstanding in dealing with the emotions of soldiers, civilians and the church in a war which turns everything upside down. Witness this drama.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, December 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Soldier's Tale [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I watched the movie before obtaining the book: both are New Zealand works and superb entertainment. "A Soldier's Tale" is a haunting story by M K Joseph -- one you can't forget. Superbly filmed on location in France. I guess I liked it because it was plausible: the main characters were human: the heroine was a prostitute and a traitor, and the hero was a common British soldier faced with a horrible dilemma and forced to make a very inhuman choice. Superb tragic plot. Definitely get the book, too.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complicated and moving tale, October 17, 2000

By 

Dorothy (Coloma, Mi United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soldier's Tale [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I watched this movie with no preconceived ideas and found myself drawn into the drama. Gabriel Byrne was superb as the soldier who comes to realize that all situations are not black and white even those that become life and death. Marianne Basler was also superb as the French girl whose great sin was loving a German soldier in the early days of the French Occupation.

I loved this movie, it was interesting and thought provoking. I highly recommend it.