On a retrouvé la 7ème compagnie (1975)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1975
	Director: Robert Lamoureux
	Actors:  Jean Lefebvre (Les Tontons Fligueurs), Pierre Mondy (La 7ème compagnie), Henri Guybet (Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob)
	Country: F
	Genre: War, Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 25.12.2015, DVD, 32" TV
Synopsis: After succesfully avoiding being captured by German forces in 1945, three mediocre soldiers (Lefebvre, Mondy, Guybet) will keep on doing so until they eventually get caught and have to use their involuntary escape skills.
Review: Maybe not a masterpiece of French cinema but one known by anybody older than 30 because they probably watched it as kids with their family, as it is replayed on TV once a year since its release already 40 years ago. It is the sequel of La 7ème compagnie (1973) but I decided to watch this one because of the funny escape sequence with the mattresses in the castle. Note that the actor playing Tassin in the first movie Aldo Maccione has been replaced by Henri Guybet (some scenes have even been re-shot for a better transition at the beginning of this movie) and I let you discuss with purists about the best of the two. I have always wondered how could France produce a pure comedy about the second World War only 30 years after it ended. In that movie there is no discussion about good or bad guys, but more comedy about our main characters thrown into various situations, as it could be done with a cop/thief comedy, almost completely ignoring the grand scale of the war. I cannot say that I laughed a lot at watching the movie but its humour (purely French, I don't think it can be appreciated by any other nationality) reminded me of those times when I was watching such 70's comedies with my father. It was followed in 1977 by La 7ème compagnie au clair de lune.
Rating: 5 /10