The 317th Platoon

The 317th Platoon (French: La 317ème section) is a 1965 French war film set during the First Indochina War (1946–54) written and directed by Pierre Schoendoerffer. The film was based on Schoendoerffer's 1963 novel of the same name.

The 317th Platoon
Directed byPierre Schoendoerffer
Produced byGeorges de Beauregard
Benito Perojo
Written byPierre Schoendoerffer
StarringJacques Perrin
Music byPierre Jansen
Gregorio García Segura
CinematographyRaoul Coutard
Edited byArmand Psenny
Release date
  • 31 March 1965 (1965-03-31)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Budget$66,000[1]
Box office1,653,827 admissions (France)[2]

Plot

In 1954 while the Battle of Dien Bien Phu is being fought, the 317th Platoon, composed of Laotian troops and four French officers and NCOs, is ordered to go to the Tao-Tsai post. There it has to join the "Heartbreaker" column which is attempting to reach Die Bien Phu.

The leaders of the platoon are Warrant Officer Willsdorff, a highly experienced soldier, and the new Second Lieutenant Torrens.

Cast

Production

Schoendoerffer had been a POW in Vietnam following the French defeat at the Battle of Din Bien Phu.[3]

The film was shot with a crew of six in the middle of a Cambodian forest during the rainy season. "I imposed a strict military regime on everyone," Schoendoerffer said. "A war film shouldn't be made in comfort."[4]

Reception

Critical

It was entered into the 1965 Cannes Film Festival where it won the award for Best Screenplay.[5]

Box Office

It was the 21st most popular film at the French box office in 1965.[2]

Legacy

In 2018, military historian Sir Antony Beevor named The 317th Platoon as "the greatest war movie ever made", "followed closely by 1966's The Battle of Algiers".[6]

References
  1. Return to Diên Biên Phû Ferguson, Sarah. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 1, Iss. 8, (1 December 1991): 26.
  2. "1965 French Box Office". Box Office Story.
  3. Pierre Schoendoerffer, French Filmmaker, Dies at 83 New York Times (Online), New York: New York Times Company. 14 March 2012.
  4. Obituary: Pierre Schoendoerffer: He was one of the few directors of war movies with first-hand experience of conflict Bergan, Ronald. The Guardian 16 March 2012: 36.
  5. "Festival de Cannes: The 317th Platoon". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  6. Beevor, Antony (29 May 2018). "Antony Beevor: the greatest war movie ever – and the ones I can't bear". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
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