Every good Marion Cotillard fan knows this movie

Not only is Marion Cotillard one of the rare French actresses to win an Oscar, she also has many hidden gems in her filmography. Witness the film we find today, a little-known war in the high country that many of its fans may not be aware of.

La Guerre dans le haut pays is a feature film by Swiss filmmaker Francis Reusser, adapted by Jean-Claude Carrière from the novel of the same name by writer Charles Ferdinand Ramos. It was released in theaters on May 5, 1999, between the first two parts of the Taxi saga, which began to see the actor in the public eye.

The story takes place in the winter of 1797-1798, when Napoleon’s troops occupied Pay de Vaud in Switzerland and prepared for the fall of Bern. It is in this difficult context that David and Julie try to live their love, friendship between parental and family conflicts, personal tears and betrayal.

Marion Cotillard, of course, plays Julie and answers to David, played by Yann Tregouët. Their romance, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, makes their small story big. The staging is solid and the reconstruction (sets, costumes) is true to the era.

We find that the dialogues sound quite literary, reminiscent of the early films of Jean-Luc Godard, which Francis Reusser, who died in 2020, especially appreciated.

High Country War is available for free vimeo d’Heusser, and is one of the curiosities of the actor’s career. This overlooked historical film deserves to be rediscovered in order to appreciate – already – Marion Cotillard’s talent and to remember that his career was not only built on children’s games and taxi movies.

The actor is currently starring in Asterix and Obelix: Middle Empire alongside Guillaume Canet.