Of Men and War

Of Men and War (French: Des hommes et de la guerre) is a 2014 documentary film by Laurent Bécue-Renard. It explores the psychological legacy of war on a group of American veterans returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The men are undergoing trauma therapy at The Pathway Home, a residential treatment program on the grounds of the Veterans Home in Yountville, CA until 2018.[1][2] Over the course of five years, they participate in group therapy and one-on-one sessions and gradually transform their trauma into narratives of survival before returning home to their wives, children, and parents.[3] The film premiered in the Special Screenings section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[4] The film won the VPRO IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary at the 2014 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.[5] It received a European Film Award for Best Documentary nomination at the 27th European Film Awards and screened at the Museum of Modern Art's Documentary Fortnight.[6][7]

For the 1970s film series, see Men and War.

Of Men and War
Film poster
Directed byLaurent Bécue-Renard
Written byLaurent Bécue-Renard
Produced byLaurent Bécue-Renard
Isidore Bethel
Heinz Dill
Elisabeth Garbar
Thierry Garrel
CinematographyCamille Cottagnoud
Edited byIsidore Bethel
Charlotte Boigeol
Sophie Brunet
Music byKudsi Erguner
Production
companies
Distributed byWhy Not Productions
Alice Films
Release dates
  • 21 May 2014 (2014-05-21) (Cannes)
  • 22 October 2014 (2014-10-22) (France)
Running time
142 minutes
CountriesFrance
Switzerland
LanguageEnglish

The Pathway Home suspended its operations indefinitely and placed its patients in other programs after a gunman killed three staff members in a 2018 murder-suicide.[8][9]

Production

The film was a coproduction between Alice Films in France and Louise Productions in Switzerland. The film had three editors, who worked on the film for years: Isidore Bethel (also associate producer), Sophie Brunet, and Charlotte Boigeol.[10] It exists in four versions: the original 142-minute festival and French theatrical cut,[11][12] a 96-minute cut for Kino Lorber's United States release of the film,[13] a 90-minute version for POV's US broadcast of the film,[14] and a 102-minute cut for its French broadcast on France 2.[15]

Reception

Upon its world premiere, Of Men and War received glowing industry praise. The Hollywood Reporter called it "a rather unforgettable experience"[16] and Variety wrote that "Laurent Becue-Renard's rigorous war-trauma documentary provides vital testimony."[17] The film won the Cinematic Nonfiction Grand Jury Prize at the Little Rock Film Festival[18] and Special Recognition at the San Francisco International Film Festival, where the jury noted "Of Men and War makes us understand the horrors of war without ever showing us a single frame of battle, offering access to interior psychologies most viewers have never seen before in a tightly structured, beautifully edited, minimalist piece of nonfiction."[19] From there, it had theatrical releases in France and the United States and received overwhelming critical praise, including a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.[20] The film is a New York Times Critic's Pick.[21]

References
  1. Yune, Howard (26 May 2016). "Film showcasing Pathway Home veterans runs on TV on Memorial Day". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  2. Poole, Robert M. (September 2010). "The Pathway Home Makes Inroads in Treating PTSD". Smithsonian Magazine. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  3. ""Addressing Their Wounds is a Revolution": Laurent Bécue-Renard on Of Men and War". Filmmaker. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  4. "Of Men and War". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  5. "28 November: Of Men and War wins VPRO IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary IDFA". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  6. "'Ida,' 'Leviathan' Top European Film Awards Nominations". Variety. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  7. "Of Men and War". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  8. "Yountville's Pathway Home closing indefinitely following fatal shootings". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  9. Warren, Christi (17 April 2018). "Slow recovery underway at Yountville veterans campus after deadly shooting". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, CA: Sonoma Media Investments, LLC. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  10. "A Grammar of Pain". Harvard Magazine. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  11. "'Of Men and War' ('Des hommes et de la guerre'): Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  12. "OF MEN AND WAR [Des hommes et de la guerre]". Why Not Productions. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  13. "Review: Soul-wounded warriors share their pain in the profane documentary 'Of Men and War'". The Los Angeles Times. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  14. "Of Men and War". POV. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  15. "25 nuances de doc, Of Men and War". France 2. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  16. "'Of Men and War' ('Des hommes et de la guerre'): Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  17. "Cannes Film Review: 'Of Men and War'". Variety. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  18. "The winners of the 2015 Little Rock Film Festival". Arkansas Times. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  19. "SFIFF58 Golden Gate & Audience Award Winners". San Francisco International Film Festival. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  20. "Of Men and War". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  21. Catsoulis, Jeannette (6 November 2015). "Review: 'Of Men and War' Chronicles the Trauma of Combat Veterans". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
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