«Les Gardiennes»: a glimpse into the life of wartime women

Cinema Wednesdays - Hélène Lavoyer

«We'll have to be strong tomorrow.»

While between 1914 and 1918, men's bodies lay dead on the ground, another battle was being waged far from the front: that of ordinary women, whose husbands, fathers, brothers and friends were taken from them by the war. This is the story of «Madame Hortense» (Nathalie Baye) and her daughter Manon (Laura Smet), who, like thousands of others, continue to work the fields abandoned by the men in order to survive. The family resides in France at «Le Paridier», a farming estate they maintain by the sweat of their bodies. Everything would have been even more difficult if they hadn't hired Francine (Iris Bry), a sturdy, hard-working little woman.

Madame Hortense's son - Georges (Cyril Descours) - returns on leave, and a sincere love is born in him for Francine, who finds herself over the moon. The end of the war could have opened the door to a reunion, but Madame Hortense's efforts to spread rumors of soliciting American soldiers about Francine rather than her daughter Manon were to no avail. Dismissed, humiliated and pregnant, Francine has to leave. She will give birth to her child, and the orphan will become a single mother with a soft, powerful voice, allowing couples to dance their reunions.

Heavy camera work

In this farm setting, which we almost never leave, punctuated by the succession of years from 1915 to 1920, the hard life of the janitors is gradually revealed. Harvesting, harvesting, planting, milking, eating, counting - this is their destiny, so well told by the camera. For the image in this film by Xavier Beauvois is far more important than the spoken word or even the music - in fact, it's only after some 30 minutes that the first melody is heard, rather than three to follow.

The wide shots reveal the arduous work of these women from France, while at the same time allowing us to feel empathy for the self-effacing guards. A true visual masterpiece, punctuated by scenes that are at times beautiful but difficult, and at other times unbearable, The Guardians fills us with all that's important: silence, love, patience and work.

Women of War

Thanks to performances by Laura Smet, desperately awaiting her husband's return, and Iris Bry, in love with a Georges she'll never see again, the viewer is plunged into this all-too-frequently forgotten world of women, and on the big screen, struck with reality, reveals the multiple roles played by the world's women.

Hands, as Xavier Beauvois clearly understands, bear witness to life, to the passage of time and to pain, as in Madame Hortense's soon-to-be twisted and rigid fingers, or Francine's still-strong ones, which in the film's most intense and beautiful scene marry those of Georges.

The desire to present women and their inner resources ultimately takes precedence over the continued presence of men - French, German and American. The film was intended to tell the story of the women of the war, but in the end, thanks to unexpected historical details, it tells much more about the horror of the war and its human and social consequences, or about what, for these women, rekindled hope.

Write to the author: lavoyer.helene@gmail.com

Photo credit: © forumdesimages.fr