Already present in Deauville in 2013 for his feature film Blue Caprice, Alexandre Moors is back at the American film festival with The Yellow Birds. The French director based in the USA presents us here a realistic and impactful war film, which seems to castigate both the American army and honor the soldiers who devote their lives to it.
A contemplative fresco on the uselessness of war
In The Yellow Birds, there is no dripping patriotism or grand speeches that boost the morale of the troops. War is only shown for what it is: a succession of dangerous missions where death is omnipresent. Thus, the film seems to be as much an anti-war pamphlet, as a tribute to the soldiers who devote their lives to the army, even if it means coming back broken (or even not to come back).The images presented are disconcertingly sobriety, immersing us without great difficulty in the atmosphere of the film. The closeness that the camera establishes with these characters immediately attaches us to them, making empathy much more natural than in other war films.
The haunting shots of the landscapes and the characters awaken a kind of fascination for them, while forcing us to question the usefulness of their struggle. It is clear that unfortunately, their fight seems ridiculous, serving morally unclear interests and a cause that does not really concern them. In the end, these soldiers are the big losers of a war that is not theirs and in which they were sent without really telling them why (if this does not remind you of Rambo, it is because you must watch this film immediately, although the register is totally different).
Effective and restrained actors
The selection of designated actors and actresses do, without being unforgettable, very well their work. Alexandre Moors can be congratulated for choosing Alden Ahrenreich as the title role. The young actor, designated to be the new Han Solo, has already proven himself in auteur films such as Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro . His performance in The Yellow Birds confirms his ability to play shy and tortured characters. Jennifer Aniston also does her job well and is as moving as she is believable as a loving mother. Finally, it is a pleasure to find Tony Collette, also in a maternal role. The latter, extraordinary in Little Miss Sunshine, is the very representation of the family powerless in the face of the radical changes of its child returned from the war. If the performance of each actor is all correct, the osmosis created between the characters and their performers is very successful.
It is difficult to describe The Yellow Birds in detail, as this contemplative fresco must be discovered, felt and appreciated according to its own sensitivity. Some will love it, others will hate, but it is likely that the spectators do not come out indifferent from their movie theater.
