Customer Reviews

A Soldier's Tale

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4 star:		(1)
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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.

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.

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.

'A Soldier's Tale' released in '89 is a surprisingly good, little known film about a WWII soldier named Saul (Gabriel Bynes) who moves in with Blle, a beautiful woman (Marianne Basler)while his platoon is temporoary camped outside a French town recently occuppied by the Nazis. Belle is hated by the community for fraternizing with the Nazis and a group of male vigilantes stalk the poor girl waiting for a chance to kill her. Saul protects her while during his stay, but is consumed with the prospects of what may happen to her when his company moves out.

Will her desert and stay to protect her, find her a safe house where she will be protected or leave her to whatever fate awaits?

Hard hitting, honest look at the unexpected casualities of war and the colateral damage that takes place when the combatants move on.