Review of Fort Saganne (1984) by Frédéric B — 14 Nov 2008

French soldier Gérard Depardieu rises through the ranks by displaying valor and ingenuity in battling Algerian rebels (and other French officers) just before WWI, while getting caught up in a romantic triangle involving heiress Sophie Marceau and free-thinking journalist Catherine Deneuve.

Leisurely paced epic boasts gorgeous cinematography by Bruno Nuytten and an exquisite score by Philippe Sarde (both marvelously preserved in this DVD), but despite incidental moments of power, film as a whole is rather inert.

I'm probably being too lenient, but you know I'm a sucker for French historical epics.