This very enjoyable and fast-moving biopic is directed by Antonin Baudry, and it has a slightly amused, detached tone—perhaps because it’s based on a biography written by an Englishman, Julian Jackson’s A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle. The first of two parts, it offers a good-humored and naturally sympathetic view of France’s great wartime hero, played with a mix of martyrdom and faintly ridiculous haughtiness by Franco-Armenian actor Simon Abkarian.
De Gaulle is the lofty exile in London, refusing to accept the shame of the Vichy government and its surrender to the Nazis, represented by Marshal Philippe Pétain (Alain Libolt) and Admiral François Darlan (Mathieu Kassovitz). For reasons that will become clear later, De Gaulle’s own story is mysteriously linked to that of a hotheaded young patriot, Fernand Bonnier de la Chapelle (Florian Lesieur), who is De Gaulle’s biggest fan. A touch of comedy is part of what makes this feel like an old-fashioned 60s war film, even though it seems to have taken until 2026 for French cinema to come to terms with its controversial national icon. No one here is bold enough to point out the irony of a French hero being named “De Gaulle.”
His great supporter (and, in some ways, even his creator) after the fall of France in 1940 is Winston Churchill, played with great energy and charm by Simon Russell Beale—it’s a relief to see a commercial movie role worthy of him. I can’t think of any other film portrayal of Churchill where most of his dialogue is in French; that’s how he mostly talks with De Gaulle here. Was Churchill’s French really that good? Churchill’s attitude is exasperated, affectionate, and sometimes furious, but he recognizes in De Gaulle a kindred spirit: a romantic maverick and patriot. Beale brings a touch of Shakespeare to his long dialogue scenes with Abkarian, cheerfully sipping champagne. I wonder if the second film will include the legendary moment when De Gaulle is asked who the three most important Europeans are, and he promptly replies: “Dante, Goethe, Chateaubriand.” When asked about Shakespeare, he shrugs: “European?”
The film also breathlessly covers De Gaulle’s arrival in Britain after the French collapse, where Churchill cunningly promotes him as the true keeper of the French flame to undermine Vichy. He is given staff, a house, and allowed to make BBC broadcasts rallying the cause of French resistance—for all of which De Gaulle is hilariously ungrateful. He then assembles a ragtag group of expatriates as his cabinet, like the prisoners in John Sturges’s The Great Escape joining the big plan. De Gaulle impassively accepts the horror of Churchill’s ruthless bombing of the French fleet at the Algerian port of Mers-el-Kébir in 1940, which killed nearly 1,300 French servicemen, to prevent the fleet from falling into Nazi hands. The film suggests that De Gaulle, with his own ruthless realpolitik, saw the importance of appeasing Churchill, while viewing Mers-el-Kébir as a judgment on Vichy’s cowardice.
Then we get the high comedy of De Gaulle’s chaotic personal adventures in Africa, finding support for his Free French in Chad and Cameroon, which Churchill admires as audacious if absurd. But Africa is important. An Anglo-Hollywood movie might have dramatized Britain’s turning point in the war as Montgomery’s brilliance at El-Alamein. This French movie instead emphasizes the heroism of an outnumbered Free French brigade in the desert at Bir Hakeim under General Marie-Pierre Kœnig (Benoît Magimel); inspired by De Gaulle, they hold out against Rommel’s superior forces, giving British troops a chance to retreat and regroup.
And so, De Gaulle falls in and out of favor with the British, whoThere are concerns that the comic-opera nature of his political career in London will damage Britain’s standing with US President Franklin D Roosevelt (Campbell Scott). The film also highlights how De Gaulle and Churchill saw the American savior very differently. The story moves quickly through De Gaulle’s return to the inner circle of Allied power after dramatic events in Africa—and then it comes to a halt. Presumably, the second film will pick up from there. But this one, in an entertaining way, plays out like a bromance or a double act with Churchill, a wartime duo heading for glory and then the long decline of post-imperial peacetime. De Gaulle: Résistance is in UK and Irish cinemas from 28 August.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of frequently asked questions about the review of De Gaulle Résistance focusing on the unique dynamic described
General Beginner Questions
1 What is De Gaulle Résistance
Its a historical drama that focuses on Charles de Gaulles leadership during the fall of France in 1940 The review specifically highlights the intense fastpaced relationship between de Gaulle and Winston Churchill as they navigate the early days of World War II
2 Is this a documentary or a fictional drama
Its a fictionalized drama based on real historical events The review suggests it takes creative liberties with the timeline and conversations but the core political conflict is grounded in reality
3 I dont know much about this period Will I be lost
Probably not The review implies the film does a good job of throwing you straight into the action The focus is on the personal clash between the two men so you learn about the stakes through their arguments rather than needing prior knowledge
4 What does bromance mean in the context of a serious war movie
It refers to the intense volatile and oddly affectionate relationship between Churchill and de Gaulle The review notes they argue constantly and drive each other crazy but theres a deep mutual respect and dependence that forms the emotional core of the film
5 Is the movie in French or English
The review doesnt specify but it likely involves a mix of French and English dialogue given the two main characters are British and French Expect subtitles for the French portions
Advanced Critical Questions
6 The review calls it fastpaced How does that work when the subject is political negotiation
The pacing comes from the editing and dialogue The review suggests the film skips the boring parts of bureaucracy and focuses on rapidfire verbal sparring Scenes are short intense and cut quickly between the war front and the negotiating table making the politics feel urgent and actionpacked
7 Does the film favor de Gaulles perspective over Churchills
The title suggests a focus on de Gaulle The review implies we see Churchill primarily through de Gaulles eyesas a powerful but frustrating ally While Churchill is portrayed as a force of nature the emotional journey is likely de Gaulles making it his story
