Figure 1.--Louis Pergaud's La guerre des boutons provides information on the clothing worn by French village children in the 1950s. This is a scene from the 1960s film. Notice the ennis shpes the older boy is wearing.
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Figure 1.--Louis Pergaud's La guerre des boutons provides information on the clothing worn by French village children in the 1950s. This is a scene from the 1960s film. Notice the ennis shpes the older boy is wearing. |
A famous book also made into a movie is Louis Pergaud's La guerre des boutons (The War of Buttons). It describes war between the kids of two villages where our hero invented the war trophy of all buttons of trousers/smocks. I'm not sure to what extent the boys' clothing is described in the book, but you would assume that is necessary given the importance of the buttons. The movie was made by Louis Malle and is very descriptive of French kids and a result French boys' clothing is extensively illustrated, including the smocks that were still commonly worn in the years in which the book was set. A remake of the movie filmed in Ireland was released in 1995 amid some controversy.
A famous book also made into a movie is Louis Pergaud's La guerre des boutons (The War of Buttons).
The book describes a fight between the kids of two villages where our hero invented the war trophy of all buttons of trousers/smocks.
The book was set in the French countryside. It concerns the children of two rural French villages.
I'm not sure just when the book was written and the events set in. The available images from the movie used here look like the 1950s.
I'm not sure to what extent the boys' clothing is described in the book, but you would assume that is necessary given the importance of the buttons.
The book has been made into two movies. The first was a 1961 film and then a 1995 remake.
Figure 2.--Louis Pergaud's La guerre des boutons provides information on the clothing worn by French village children in the 1950s. This is a scene from the 1960s film. This boy appears to be waering a jacket rather than a smock. |
The 1961 movie based on the book was made by Louis Malle and is very descriptive of French kids and a result French boys' clothing is extensively illustrated, including the smocks that were still commonly worn in the years in which the book was set. The film was made in 1961 as La Guerre des boutons staring Jacques Dufilho, Yvette Étiévant, Michel Galabru, Michèle Méritz, Jean Richard, Pierre Tchernia, Pierre Trabaud, Claude Confortès, Paul Crauchet, Henri Labussière, Yves Peneau, Robert Rollis, Louisette Rousseau, François Boyer, Marie-Catherine Faburel, Michel Isella, François Lartigue,
Martin Lartigue, André Treton As in the book, two bands of boys from nearby villages just can't get along, battle each other after school, remove the buttons of those they capture to humiliate their prisoners. As things escalate between them, can a common bound be found?
A remake of the movie filmed in Ireland was released in 1995 amid some controversy. One reviewer prefers the 1995 remake. He says, "If you prefer "modern" cinema, stick with the remake, but if you can appreciate a good-old original, make sure to check this one out. The two are quite similar, but there are a few differences which should interest any real "buff."
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