''Life and Nothing But'' (french: La vie et rien d'autre) is a 1989

French film French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...

directed by

Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French director, screenwriter, actor and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, s ...

. It was inspired by the novel by Albanian writer

Ismail Kadare Ismail Kadare (; spelled Ismaïl Kadaré in French; born on 28 January 1936) is an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter, and playwright. He is a leading international literary figure and intellectual. He focused on poetry until the pu ...

titled '' The General of the Dead Army''.

Synopsis

Set in October 1920, it tells the story of Major Delaplane, a man whose job is to find the identities of unknown dead soldiers after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He encounters two women looking for their lost men: Irène, an aristocrat, and Alice, a country girl. The movie is a sensitive examination of the deep psychological scars left behind by the war, clear of sentiment yet with delicately nuanced irony.

Cast

Philippe Noiret Philippe Noiret (; 1 October 1930 – 23 November 2006) was a French film actor. Life and career Noiret was born in Lille, France, the son of Lucy (Heirman) and Pierre Noiret, a clothing company representative. He was an indifferent student and ...

- Commandant Delaplane *

Sabine Azéma Sabine Azéma (born 20 September 1949) is a French stage and film actress and director. Born in Paris, she graduated from the Paris Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Career Her film career began in 1975. Azéma appeared in '' A Sunday in the ...

- Irène de Courtil *Pascale Vignal - Alice *Maurice Barrier - Mercadot *

François Perrot François Perrot (26 February 1924 – 20 January 2019)Frédéric Pierrot Frédéric Pierrot (born 17 September 1960) is a French actor. He has appeared in more than 120 films and television shows since 1986. He starred in the film '' Tell Me I'm Dreaming'', which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the ...

- Marcel *

Jean-Paul Comart Jean-Paul Comart (born 27 September 1953) is a Belgian actor best known for his appearances in French film in the 1980s. He has appeared in films, TV and in the theatre. Since 2000, Comart has mostly appeared on television, playing Inspector M ...

- Fagot * Daniel Russo - Lieutenant Trévise *

Michel Duchaussoy Michel René Jacques Duchaussoy (29 November 1938 – 13 March 2012) was a French film actor, who appeared in more than 130 films between 1962 and 2012. At first a theatre actor, he worked for many years in the Comédie Française, where he ...

- Général Villerieux *

Pascal Elso Pascal Elso is a French actor. Life He is actor, comedian, director and acting teacher on several cinema school. He had been choreographer, clown, mime Filmography Theater References External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elso, Pasca ...

- The blind

Awards

The film was nominated for numerous awards. It won the ''

BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. The award was first given at the 36th British Academy Film Awards, rec ...

''. It was also nominated for 11 ''

César Awards The César Award is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the ' ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Min ...

'', winning for Best Actor (''

'') and Best Music.

Other films based on the book

*'' The General of the Dead Army'' (Italian: ''Il generale dell'armata morta'') is a 1983 Italian film starring

Michel Piccoli Jacques Daniel Michel Piccoli (27 December 1925 – 12 May 2020) was a French actor, producer and film director with a career spanning 70 years. He was lauded as one of the greatest French character actors of his generation who played a wide vari ...

, based on the novel, directed by

Luciano Tovoli Luciano Tovoli, (born 30 October 1936) is an Italian cinematographer and filmmaker. With a career spanning over five decades, he is considered one of Italy's premier cinematographers, collaborating with numerous acclaimed filmmakers such as Mich ...

. *'' The Return of the Dead Army'' (Albanian: ''Kthimi i Ushtrise se Vdekur'') is a 1989 Albanian film starring Bujar Lako, based on the novel, directed by Dhimitër Anagnosti.

References

External links

* 1989 films French war drama films 1980s French-language films Western Front (World War I) films Films featuring a Best Actor César Award-winning performance Films directed by Bertrand Tavernier Films set in 1920 Films based on historical novels Films based on Albanian novels Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA Award winners 1980s French films {{1980s-France-film-stub