Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
1940: During the chaotic running fights of the French army the 7th company disappears - nobody knows they've been taken captive. Only their scouting patrol, three witty but lazy guys, can escape and now wanders around behind the German lines. They'd like to just stay out the fights, but a Lieutenant urges them to use a captured truck to break through to their troops.
A fondly remembered French wartime comedy that blends slapstick with gentle satire of military incompetence during the 1940 debacle. The plot is functional and episodic rather than tightly constructed, serving mainly as a vehicle for the comic trio's misadventures behind enemy lines. The acting is charming and energetic in the tradition of popular French ensemble comedy, though not particularly distinguished. Cinematography is workmanlike and utilitarian, befitting a mid-budget genre picture of its era. Novelty is moderate — the premise of bumbling soldiers stumbling through chaos has precedent, but the specifically French angle on the humiliation of 1940 gives it some cultural distinctiveness. The ending ties things up satisfactorily without being especially memorable. Overall a solid, crowd-pleasing entry in the French comedy tradition.