La 317ème section (2010 restoration)

22.00 Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, 3 July 2010
LA 317ème SECTION / Troiscents dix-septième section / 317 battaglione d'assalto / 317. osasto
FR/ES 1965. D: Pierre Schoendoerffer. DP: Raoul Coutard. LOC: Cambodia. With Bruno Cremer, Jacques Perrin. 94 min
Presenta Serge Toubiana (La Cinémathèque française).
Restored (2010) via a 2K digital intermediate by La Cinémathèque française and StudioCanal with the support of the Franco-American Cultural Fund.
English subtitles on print. E-subtitles in Italian by Sub-Ti.

Both Pierre Schoendoerffer and Raoul Coutard are veterans of the Vietnam war. This is their powerful and original war film that belongs to the platoon-type subgenre. The action is set in 1954, before Dien Bien Phu. The film is shot in realistic style. The restoration looks bright and clear and works perfectly on the piazza. I watched only over half an hour of the film after the long farewells and introductions since I have an early wake-up call for my morning flight back to Helsinki. The film certainly will be worthy seeing in its entirety.

Today Bologna was so sultry than even Italians and Frenchmen were suffering. Of course, this is nothing compared with the jungle of Vietnam with its doubled heat and humidity rates.

As I write this at midnight after the piazza screening the music on my inner soundtrack is Metropolis from last night.