War of the Buttons (1962 film)

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La Guerre des boutons
(War of the Buttons)
Directed by Yves Robert
Written by Louis Pergaud (novel)
François Boyer
Release date(s) 1962
Running time 90 min.
Language French
IMDb profile

La Guerre des boutons or War of the Buttons is a 1962 French film directed by Yves Robert, about two rival kid gangs whose playful combats escalate into violence. The title derives from the buttons that are cut-off from the rival team's clothes as combat trophies. The film is based on a novel by Louis Pergaud (1882-1915), who was killed in action in the First World War and whose works portray a fervent anti-militarism.

The young and largely untrained actors included André Treton ("Lebrac"), Michel Isella ("l'Aztec") and Martin Lartigue ("Petit Gibus"). The character Petit Gibus's line of dialogue - uttered in frustration - "si j'avais su, j'aurais pas venu" ("if I had known, I wouldn'ta come"), with its incorrect grammar (the correct form should be: "...je ne serais pas venu") has become a familiar tagline in France (the line was not in the original novel).

The film won France's Prix Jean Vigo.

The film was remade in Ireland in 1994 as War of the Buttons, in an Irish setting.

[edit] Cast

  • Jacques Dufilho - L'Aztec's father
  • Yvette Etiévant - Lebrac's mother
  • Michel Galabru - Bacaillé's father
  • Michèle Méritz - L'Aztec's mother
  • Jean Richard - Lebrac's father
  • Pierre Tchernia - Bédouin
  • Pierre Trabaud - School teacher
  • Claude Confortès - Nestor the postman
  • Paul Crauchet - Touegueule
  • Henri Labussière - A countryman
  • Yves Peneau - The prefect
  • Robert Rollis - Migue la lune's father
  • Louisette Rousseau - Bacaillé's mother
  • Christophe Bourseiller
  • Claude Bourseiller
  • Tsilla Chelton
  • François Boyer - The priest (uncredited)
  • Marie-Catherine Faburel - Marie-Tintin (uncredited)
  • Michel Isella - L'Aztec (uncredited)
  • François Lartigue - Grand Gibus (uncredited)
  • Martin Lartigue - Petit Gibus (uncredited)
  • André Treton - Lebrac (uncredited)

[edit] External link

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