| The Officers' Ward | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | François Dupeyron |
| Produced by | Laurent Pétin Michèle Pétin |
| Written by | François Dupeyron Marc Dugain |
| Starring | Eric Caravaca |
| Cinematography | Tetsuo Nagata |
| Editing by | Dominique Faysse |
| Release date(s) | 18 May, 2001 |
| Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
The Officers' Ward (French: La chambre des officiers), is a 2001 French film, directed by François Dupeyron and starring Eric Caravaca as the central character. It based on the novel by Marc Dugain. It is supposedly based on the experiences of one of the author's own ancestors during World War I.
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The film concentrates more on the period spent in hospital than the original novel, and emphasizes the horror of the friends' injuries. On Adrien's arrival at the ward, all the mirrors are removed and staff are instructed not to give any to him, but we see from the expressions on the faces of others just how bad the damage is. Adrien becomes increasingly desperate to see the damage done to his face, even asking a visitor to draw a picture of him. Dupeyron ensures that we do not see the horrifying extent of Adrien's injuries until the moment that he himself does - by looking at his reflection in a window pane.
There is a strong focus on the fleeting romance between Adrien and Clémence, a woman he meets by chance shortly before departing for the war, and his later attempts to track her down. When he finally does meet her again, she fails to recognise him.
Whereas the novel follows the experiences of the group right up to World War II and beyond, the film ends just after the First World War, the final scene being Adrien's chance meeting with his future wife.
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