This war drama, saddled with an unremarkable title, struggles to breathe life into its tale of Belgian villagers resisting a German incursion at the dawn of World War I. The narrative feels overly familiar, further hampered by the cast’s mixed accents as they deliver their lines in English. While the portrayal of German characters leans into distinctly German accents, the accents among the Belgian characters vary in intensity, creating an uneven soundscape.
Iain Glen, known for his role in “Game of Thrones,” brings gravitas to his portrayal of Leonard Lambert, a Belgian farmer. Initially preoccupied with his son’s budding romance with the daughter of a wealthy doctor, Leonard’s life takes a dramatic turn when a German unit marches into his village en route to France. The commanding officer (Philippe Brenninkmeyer) insists on a policy of taking only what is necessary and avoiding bloodshed, but his own son, Laurentz (Joe Anderson), a caricature of a sadistic German officer, defies his orders. In a shocking scene that deviates from the predictable, Laurentz commits a brutal act, extinguishing the life of a character the audience had likely assumed would remain central to the story. The violence itself is toned down, presenting a sanitized version of warfare with a deliberate avoidance of graphic details.
Following this tragedy, Leonard reluctantly assumes leadership of the resistance. The villagers first seek refuge in the church’s basement, then hatch a daring escape plan. While the drama retains a certain tautness, it is punctuated by moments that lack impact. One scene, laden with earnestness, features a woman contemplating the indifference of nature amidst the bloodshed, leading to a rather clichéd observation about the disconnect between humanity’s violence and the natural world.