The life and exploits of firefighters seen first from the mischievous perspective of a village, then in the sometimes moving atmosphere of Parisian barracks.

Also evocation of the interventions of the firefighters during the Occupation....

Aka "les joyeux conscrits" ( the happy draftees" ) ,a dumb title;one can prefer " la bataille du feu " , (fire fight); this is an interesting forgotten movie which several mingled subplots

1) A welcome tribute to the firefighters , long before "sauver ou périr" (2018); the viewer attends their hard training ,then their first battles ;their professional solidarity is deeply moving in the last scenes; of course their methods seem obsolete today ,but their bravery doesn't.

2)A look at the collaborators during WW2 . Pierre Larquey's last line ("keep my lentils warm ,I'll eat 'em when I come back ) before leaving ,given away to the Gestapo , is harrowing; his adoptive son will go out of his way to find the informer

3)A melodrama : the dashing young firefighter ,born an illegitimate son, is denied his union with a girl whose father is not prepared to accept such a shame

One of Jean Carmet's first important parts ,as a foil to the principal.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

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La bataille du feu

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