War of the
Buttons could have made a lovely little coming of age film, had it been set
during any other time period. Instead, it is a strange movie which doesn’t
exist in reality while trying to tackle serious issues. Even the humor found in
Life is Beautiful was not at the expense of the gravity in the situation, but
the Holocaust is a mere story contrivance in War of the Buttons. There appears
no attempt to show an accurate depiction, while the film’s narrative is weighed
down on the insistence that it be central to the story.
War of the Buttons comes from filmmaker
Christophe Barratier (The Chorus), who once again returns to the classroom for
much of the film’s structure. The teacher is played by Guillaume Canet, though
the film’s protagonist is class clown and leader, Lebrac (Jean Texier). Lebrac
leads the rest of the boys in his class in a war against boys from an opposing
village, with buttons being the ultimate sign of conquest.
The story is
adapted from the novel by Louis Pergaud, which has previously been adapted
several times, including another adaptation set in the 1960s which was also
released in 2011, and one set in Ireland
The DVD includes
a making-of featurette, as well as deleted scenes and a blooper reel.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical Significance:
5/10
Disc Features: 6/10
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