On August 9, 2024, Enigma Releasing released 'The Last Front', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, the onset of the first World War affects a local family in Belgium that grappling with not only the chaos of war but the first love of their son. An insightful snapshot of life during one of the scariest times in human history, the ensemble cast includes Iain Glen, Sasha Luss, Julian Kostov, David Calder, and Phillippe Brenninkmeyer. But what did the critics say?
Dennis Harvey of Variety says, "The only confusing thing about “The Last Front” is its title. Set at the outbreak of World War I, this fictive tale of invading German forces wreaking havoc in the Belgian countryside depicts just one arena for violence in a conflict that would drag on for another four years. Otherwise, Julien Hayet-Kerknawi’s debut feature is a sturdy, engrossing drama conveyed in a somewhat retro mode. While the director and co-writer has shared that he “wanted to stay away from the traditional black-and-white good guys versus bad guys trope” with this film, Hayet-Kerknawi’s actually made a movie so driven by those exact moral divisions that it recalls the propaganda-heavy entertainments churned out by studios during both World Wars." Adding, "But “The Last Front,” in limited release from Enigma on Friday, is deftly handled, eking considerable force from its familiar faceoff between besieged civilians, led by Iain Glen’s reluctant-leader farmer, and Joe Anderson, as a truly detestable officer in the Kaiser’s army. This English-language production may not be among the most memorable period war films in recent years, but its straightforward, sometimes brutal progress and assured craftsmanship will more than satisfy audiences looking for something other than simple combat spectacle."
Roger Moore of Movie Nation was less impressed, stating, "There are entirely too many pauses for poetic reveries for the picture to have the pace it needs. This was a chaotic, panic-stricken place and time, with the Germans in a rush to win the war before anybody gave a thought to digging a trench, the Belgians fighting back, the Allies struggling to respond to this mortal threat on their left flank and helpless civilians trapped in the middle. The Germans become obsessed with “The Resistance,” as if they’re thinking one war ahead (nobody would have been using that term in the late summer of 1914). And every time Father Von Rauch fails to stop his psychotic son, I was almost taken out of the picture. But Glen is a magnificent presence who holds the melodramatic elements together, no matter how far-fetched they get. Anderson is perfectly loathsome as his opposite number, and the mad scramble of the action scenes work." Adding, "If you’re one of those film fans who will watch any movie about The Great War you’ll probably be more forgiving of “The Last Front,” which takes its title from a cumbersome aphorism about civilians in a war zone. But if you’re not and you roll your eyes at it, no one should argue that you have a point.
Robert Kojder of Flickering Myth notes, "There is nothing especially deep here, but the action is competent and with more than enough early scenes establishing the relationships these characters have with one another, that once people do start eventually dying here, it matters. Furthermore, simply giving death weight is where similar, smaller action flicks fail. However, there is one vital mistake in that the film somewhat bypasses a strategical defense of the village, opting to put some of our heroes on an escort mission to get a wounded individual and some other civilians to a river near France for safety. Apparently, being near forests and trees gives them the advantage in firefight battles. This still works since we still care about the characters, but it is less exciting and confusing since there is also apparently a resistance movement that the movie then ignores."
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| Photo by Georgia Vagim on Unsplash |
Edward Douglas of The Weekend Warrior praises the film, calling it, "A fine drama that shines a spotlight on a part of Europe that really hasn’t been covered very much in war movies."
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