WAR OF THE BUTTONS DENUDES THE FRIVOLITY OF VIOLENCE
The aphorism “Boys will be boys” is used to justify misconduct, often when a leader imposes groupthink, goading his peers to misbehave. War of the Buttons (La guerre des boutons), directed by Yann Samuell, plays out that theme in wartime Vichy (1944), though the film is the fourth adaptation of the 1912 novel by Louis Pergaud. When boys from Veltrans poach in the territory of Langeverne, the stage is set for an escalation of violence among boys aged 7-14. Langeverne wins the first battle, capturing a Veltran, who is held down for punishment. Langeverne leader Lebrac (played by Vincent Bres) then brandishes a knife but only removes buttons from the boy’s clothing, whereupon he is released and has to hold up his pants with his hands as he runs home. Now the “war” is on, and buttons are the spoils. Meanwhile, an attractive girl suddenly appears as a guest of the town’s fine clothing store operator. Lebrac flirts, and soon the two are dating. One family, presumably Jewish, is removed from the town as the boys look on without comment. She finally admits to Lebrac that she is Jewish, but she is outed by someone else (whom I cannot divulge or else I spoil much of the story), whereupon the girl and her protector move to a safe house nearby. Family conflict between Lebrac and his father Simon (played by Fred Testot) is an important part of the story, including Lebrac’s discovery toward the end of the film that his father is involved in the Resistance. The outing crisis serves to bring the leaders of both gangs together, so presumably the war is over. The delightful coming-of-age War of the Buttons is reminiscent of Political Film Society prizewinning The War (1994), which involved American children learning that peaceful relations are more fulfilling than petty conflict. Accordingly, the Political Film Society has nominated War of the Buttons as best film on peace of 2012. MH