Women at War (2022) User Reviews

Inaccurate but still good

[hugues-talbot · 7/10 · 30 November 2022]

It's a good French series about the involvement of women in WW1 on the French side, through the prism of four prototypal characters: a prostitute with a son in the army; a runaway competent nurse; an upper-class lady with a shady past; and a nun.

The story of the four characters intersect and find a common destiny in a French town near the front, confronted by the horrors of war.

Some of that conflict was well depicted, other elements, maybe not so much. Historical accuracy is not the main element here (e.g there were no gas attack until 1915, whereas all the action takes place at the beginning of the war in 1914).

The depiction of war wounds, the moral of troops, the insufficient equipment (no helmet) and the treatment of the wounded seemed pretty spot on though.

The action and acting is all good if a little over-dramatic and forced at times.

There will be no second season. This is a mini-series and this is all there is to it.

Masterpiece of episode

[Luigi Di Pilla · 7/10 · 3 February 2023]

This French miniseries brings us back in the beginning of the First World War between Germany and France. Many stories are packed here and lot of dramatic turns are shown.

The locations in the French Vosges of Alsace are beautiful. The costumes and sceneries were wonderfully created so that everything came very authentic here. The main actress and actors delivered an outstanding performance and should earn high respect inclusive the director.

The last two or three episodes were the best in my opinion when scene by scene was full of surprises and emotions. This war showed again how useless it is and how cruel it was during these war times. God bless all innocent soldiers who died for their country. 7/10.

Strong acting but shmaltzy writing.

[irvingwarner · 6/10 · 13 February 2023]

I watched this in French w/ English subtitles, to best hear the actor's cadences for their role. From the beginning we had acting of the highest order, with (once again) Audrey Fleurot giving a standout performance, as she did in "The French Village". In fact all the acting was good to excellent. This leaves one with the impression that talent and craft are at the highest level with French Thespians. The production values were OK, though the battlefield scenes seemed lacking. But weakest of all was the writing: It was predictable with an inclination towards the melodramatic, and in some cases extremely so. This was an excellent example of superb acting almost elevating the production from so/so to good. Almost, that is.

Very enjoyable

[mcauleyj · 9/10 · 26 January 2023]

I didn't have high hopes for this show when it popped up on my screen, but it turns out it's pretty addictive. Tells the tale of four women in various stations in life interacting and intersecting each other's lives in the early days of World War One in France.

This is a very well made series, good acting, writing, great costumes and sets. The show has a melodramatic, slightly unreal aspect to it, making for a dreamy high end soap opera feel. That's not a bad thing, it was low key mesmerizing at times.

I wish there were more miniseries of this caliber available on streaming services instead of the usual garbage shows.

Great French WW1 soapie.!

[harril-586-26745 · 10/10 · 26 January 2023]

This show makes for compelling viewing thanks to extraordinary acting, beautiful scenery & sets with overall high production standards.

Even though the villains (most of the male characters) are often too evil to be real, the actors are so good at making us hate them that they somehow seemed quite believable though disgusting. The 4 female leads are very good-looking, appealing women caught up in such dire situations that it was easy to empathise with them, hoping one day they'd eventually find joy. Music soundtrack was good - always helping the story reach emotional highs. Compared to most of the tripe dished up as must-see-entertainment this one was GOLD!

Another great French soap period piece

[ikanboy · 7/10 · 28 January 2023]

If you watched "Bonfire of Destiny" you'll be pleased to see the same three actresses ( plus a new one) and Director, at it again. This time it's 1914 and WW1 has started. A prostitute, a nun and a "criminal" abortionist are the main protagonists. And, yup the baddies are mostly men. But it's played out dead seriously which allows the plot weaknesses to be smoothed over.

Audrey Fleurot leads the way with her wonderful mane of red hair. And flaring nostrils! She's so good at playing strong characters who are always interesting even when flawed.

It's also one of the rare movies that show WW1 before it ground down to bunker warfare. It seems the French uniforms were "decorative" while the Germans, practical as usual, were colorless. Zut Alors!

Terrible in a good way

[perbj · 9/10 · 2 February 2023]

I want to focus on the fact that this serie really catches the horrible moments of war in such a way I think noone can go away untouched. The screams are just horrific, If I didn't know it was on TV I could swear it was real.

I have to say it's really well made, great acting from everyone. And the fact I finished this before even thinking of looking at the last of us says it all.

This isn't an American production where everyone is cool and wounds are no match.

France has done it, it's horrific and tense, but you just need to watch to the end. Not sure you feel any better, but you definitely feel something.

Disappointing ending but what a wonderful story!

[mingmcv · 7/10 · 30 December 2022]

The different stories are interesting and not farfetched. Most of the actresses and actors are excellent. The four main characters are so different from one another, what makes the story even more captivating. I binge-watched it and loved it... until the end of the episode 6.

The last two episodes were indeed very disappointing: they lacked realism and were sickly soppy. Example: would it be possible that a high-ranking officer, at war, receives a prostitute in his office and helps her, several times? Finally, the end is just unrealistic and too sentimental to me.

What a shame as it is a super story showing the great value and capabilities of different women during wartime.

10 out of 10 for a French prod!

[luc1971 · 10/10 · 5 November 2022]

This french mini-series has it all: the storytelling, the acting, the pace, the actors, the production, the score, the camera.

Being from Luxembourg, I know what I am talking about, as I followed MANY other french series.

I cannot and do NOT wish to spoil ANYTHING about the plot: discover it for yourselves and get surprised.

Of course, it is a HUGE advantage being able to watch it in its original FR-version.

Hint: it is not for the faint of heart.

Enjoy it simply. I binge-watched it within 1 day and a half.

I gave it a straight 10 out of 10, which is EXTREMELY exceptional.

Superb success for my French neighbors, period.

Too much fantasy

[ovibor · 6/10 · 23 January 2023]

The female combatants are beautiful and play well, although sometimes their expressiveness is exaggerated.

The war scenes are naively rendered and unbelievable. The scenes with all those wounded and mutilated soldiers moaning and wrapped in bandages, would not be true, something is false and artificial.

The plot is too thick, too many coincidences, too many events exaggerated and broken from reality. No president of a country comes to the place where fighting is going on, on the front line, to decorate four women, one of whom is a prostitute. Yes, a prostitute, but who has a wonderful mother's soul.

The series keeps you captive, you are curious how it will end, what will be the denouement, it is exciting from this point of view, but much of what happened is not believable, there is an excess of coincidences and situations, which have no real support and seem inappropriate and illogical, defying reality. Too much fantasy.

Entertaining historical drama

[lennieforsberg · 8/10 · 24 January 2023]

If you like historical series with beautiful cinematography you're going to like this.

Acting is great, the characters are likable and it has a good storyline. Maybe that there are too few episodes to really develop a connection with all of the characters.

I also noticed that all of the main characters are very beautiful which may not be realistic but on the other hand all of them are great actors so I don't mind,

I especially enjoyed the first 5 episodes, the last episodes were a bit unrealistic and "American" with some cheesy lines and dramatic music. Especially since I prefer European series over American, who tend to be too much of everything for my taste. But overall it was an entertaining well made series and I finished it in two days!

Melodramatic attempt to portray women's experience of war. But does it honour ordinary women?

[Bobalopacus · 7/10 · 29 January 2023]

Set around a small french town near the frontlines during the first year of the Great War (1914), this is a well-made and entertaining melodrama.

As a symbolic representation of bravery, sacrifice and redemption it's at times quite moving.

It centres around four women all of which go through a tremendous amount of extraordinary experiences during a short period.

At the final credits it honours all the women who assisted the war effort, yet I would argue that the series doesn't really address the experiences of ordinary women - except perhaps as background and incidental detail.

Over the seven hour duration we cover such topics as espionage, nursing and surgery, prostitution, familial loss, treason, conscientious objection, ambulance services, abortion, lesbian love affairs, child abduction, fleeing from the law, ultimate sacrifice, false imprisonment, sexual abuse and church corruption - and so on.

Of course these things occurred and actual women would have experienced aspects of all of them - but packing it all in to a short series and connecting all those issues to four people detracts from historical realism.

Certainly, women served as nurses, for example, but how many of them were also fleeing from a murder charge, having an affair with a surgeon, hiding under an assumed name, and involved in a plot to betray the entire war effort?

That's just a few of the things that one character experiences over the period of a few weeks. At one point all four women are awarded medals by a general. Everyone is rushing from one highly dramatic encounter to the next.

The counter argument might be, 'well, ordinary experiences wouldn't be so dramatic'. I disagree. I believe it would have been possible to make a series that captured more plausible situations and experiences of the average woman and still be entertaining and moving (possibly more so).

Contrast this with the recent 'All Quiet On The Western Front' which brilliantly dramatised the experiences of one soldier - his story is unique in some ways, but most of what you see on screen could have applied to any average participant in the frontlines.

Soap opera with very little realism

[Barbouzes · 5/10 · 31 January 2023]

Silly sentimentalism and flagrant absurdities. I am on episode 6, so I cannot say that I watched the whole series, but after episode 3 already, husband and I already felt that the coincidences, the crowding of off kilter characters and seesaw events signaled a poorly cooked soap opera plot that unfortunately destroys the otherwise laudable efforts of production. Solid actors, great costumes, gorgeous photography and decors, but the characters are cartoonish, the dialogues often clichés (I speak French, but my husband does not: we are watching the show in French with English subtitles.) and anachronisms abound in this ridiculously pompous stew. A FRENCH VILLAGE, the WW2 French series whom some reviewers compared this show to because of the presence of Audrey Fleurot in both shows, is far superior on all fronts: realism, compelling characters and a believable plot. This Women At War thing is simply not believable -period.

Thank you. Or should I say merci.

[kevinvangundy · 8/10 · 22 January 2023]

Acting is superb. Cinematography and scene staging is excellent. Storyline is good enough to be engaging. Nice to see a quality series that isn't from the U. S. And while the dubbing isn't the best its adequate. Thank you. Or should I say merci.

Acting is superb. Cinematography and scene staging is excellent. Storyline is good enough to be engaging. Nice to see a quality series that isn't from the U. S. And while the dubbing isn't the best its adequate. Thank you. Or should I say merci.

Acting is superb. Cinematography and scene staging is excellent. Storyline is good enough to be engaging. Nice to see a quality series that isn't from the U. S. And while the dubbing isn't the best its adequate. Thank you. Or should I say merci.

A very good series

[biancaalexandru-03908 · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

The entire series was a tribute to the female heroes who fought in the war. Marguerite, Agnes, Suzanne and Caroline are their representation. The ending made me cry for all the innocent people who died in this terrible war in which they were just puppets of the great powers. I am very happy that this series was made. The settings and the atmosphere are very well represented, the costumes, the architecture, the furniture, they all manage to take you to the past and live those moments with the characters.

I think it is a very good representation of the society of that time, a patriarchal society where women have no power compared to men, but who despite this fact manage to fight, to wage a "war" through which to gain their powers. A good example could be the situation experienced by Mother Agnes, who, in an attempt to save the girls from the monastery, risked her freedom to denounce the priest, but to no avail. The superiors of the church were aware of the horrors that were happening and what mattered to them was that the name of the church should not be tarnished. Everyone saw their own interest, regardless if it meant selling their humanity. It was impossible as a woman to do justice on your own in that period.

Could have been better

[grahamf-55542 · 6/10 · 7 March 2023]

Poor writing and over use of melodrama ruined what could have been a fine production. The plot, as in "Bonfire of Destiny" - which also starred Audrey Fleurot and Julie de Bona - was extremely dense. It was unrealistic and some of the coincidences were really excruciating.

There was a lot of fine acting. That really saved the series, and I have to admit that having got to about half way, you really wanted to know how it ended, so it does hold your attention.

However, as the story progressed, the melodrama became steadily worse. Also the heroic achievements of the women leads became too far-fetched.

Great flick!!

[sharonlscotty · 8/10 · 23 January 2023]

I really enjoyed this show. It portrays war time struggles really well. I was disappointed that the issues they showed the women facing were extremes instead of everyday issues the majority face. It focused on abuse in the Catholic Church, the effects of outlawed abortion, prostitution, crooked men and lesbian relationships causing issues with the front lines of war as opposed to tearing young men away from families for war. Women are able to win battles without being lesbians, whores or weak given in to manipulation. Of course then it wouldn't be an exciting show I suppose, or we'd have to get more creative than the norm these days.

Enjoyed it but the American dubbing was annoying

[Eblywheatt · 6/10 · 21 January 2023]

So, the series itself was quite a good watch, I find anything WW2 really interesting, I think the show was well put together, acting was fine. So it was pretty good overall.

The voice overs were matched pretty well so that made for an easy watch too

The bit that ruined it for me though is the fact that both French and Germans were dubbed with American accents .. that's really annoying because it didn't give the show much dynamic/ variation and sometimes was confusing knowing who was who.. so when you've got a German and a French person talking to eachother, they are both sounding American. It's a bit weird.

A Civilian's Perspective on WWI

[jdavisLina · 10/10 · 26 January 2023]

Following the success of films such as 1913 and All Quiet on the Western Front, Netflix took a chance on a WWI French limited series (8 episodes) that follows four Parisian women in 1914 France as their lives intersect - Marguerite, a Parisian prostitute (Audrey Fleurot), Suzanne, a feminist nurse (Camille Lou), Agnes, Mother Superior of a convent (Julia De Bona), and Caroline, a house wife propelled to command her husband's family factory (Sofia Essaidi).

The miniseries covers the waterfront on tone - melodrama, love, lust, depravity, immorality, graphic violence, reversals of fortunes, reversals of misfortunes, hopes, betrayals, plot torques, and sufficient intrigue to add this series to the suspense genre as much as it sits squarely in history and drama.

The performances by the four female leads were unflinchingly nuanced, as were the performances by the equally compelling "lead" male cast ensemble. Cinematographer Jean-Phillipe Gosselin used his full tool box with every type of shot, angle, lighting and color saturation choice, and mis-en-scene. Laurent credited creator Cécile Lorne with the designs for the fascinating characters and noted that, while the characters were fictional, the crew included two historians (Laurent also kept military advisors on the sets). This series differentiates itself from most war films in that it is a portrayal that starts with a civilian perspective.

This series had little marketing and is currently Netflix's number 2 or 3 show in the US as of today by word of mouth. It is a definite recommend. My only criticism is of the last 5 minutes of the entire series - it was way too melodramatic, and I did not like the writers' choice for the fate of one of the characters. The other 6 hours and 47 minutes are well worth the watch. @netflix.

Well done but...

[wpetriw-05649 · 7/10 · 11 March 2023]

This is a French movie set in the early part of World War One. You can tell it's a French film because it is somewhat biased against the Germans but so am I and I'm not even French. Mainly, what I wanted to mention was that you can tell this was written by a woman. All but 3 of the men characters are some level of bad and many are despicable. That being said, the acting is good for the most part. The writing is decent. It has some historical chronological flaws. The costumes and vehicles give an authentic feel to the movie.

Some things were predictable to me. I can't mention which without a spoiler alert. It was still worth watching. I give it a marginal 7 stars.

Stunning Series with Great Acting and sets

[matlong30 · 10/10 · 10 February 2023]

This French miniseries was fantastic.

The main characters drew you in from the start, 4 great actresses who made you care what happened to them and whether they would survive. Each of the protagonists had a detailed and interesting storyline

The directors did a great job of showing the chaos of the early months of the war, the French solders only had cloth caps at this point, not helmets - and the front line in the forest was very fluid, all very realistic The beauty of the country and forested Alsace region that they were figting over, combined with the stunning uniforms of both sides and attention to detail provided a great spectacle.

There is a lot more to this series that could be told, please make a series 2!

Not bad, but let down by historical inaccuracies.

[john-3422 · 7/10 · 31 December 2023]

It was obvious from the beginning of the first episode that a great deal of time and expense must have been put into this series. The locations and costumes appear to be very accurate. French soldiers are shown wearing the red trousers (le pantalon rouge) introduced in 1829 and still in use at the outbreak of war in 1914. Since such pains appear to have been taken with the visual aspects, it is a pity that less attention has been paid to other historical details. However, in spite of this, I found the stories of the four women quite engaging, although admittedly somewhat schmaltzy and melodromatic.

The most glaring example of a historical inaccuracy is the depiction of the use of poisonous chlorine gas by the Germans in Episode 6. This episode is set in late September 1914, but poison gas was only used for the first time, by the Germans at Ypres, in April 1915!

The distinction between social classes, and between officers and other ranks at that time was quite marked, but is not reflected in this series, and it is often difficult to tell who is an officer. French officers still went into action in 1914 with swords and revolvers, but 'Colin', a lieutenant, is frequently seen carrying and firing a rilfe. Furthermore, men at that time were generally addressed by their surnames and rarely by their first names, so 'Colin' would have been referred to as 'Lieutenant de Renier' both by his brother officers and the men under his command.

I watched this film in the original French with English subtitles. Although this requires more effort, it provides a more immersive experience.

Lavish production

[laduqesa · 5/10 · 8 April 2023]

Money was spent on this. Sets were excellent, costumes were authentic, location was fabulous. There wasn't a "cast of thousands" but the extras must have cost a fortune.

There was no way that this was not going to turn into a melodramatic telenovela or soap opera though. Our four principal women were virtuous against a world of wickedness. They were fighting not only the Germans but evil men and women on their own side.

Coincidences abounded, secrets were found out, confidences betrayed. But we knew how it would end up - everything would turn out well in the end for our heroines. It simply has to in this sort of series.

Did I hate it for that? Absolutely not. I followed it all through.

I watched in French with the help of English subtitles as I'm going a bit deaf. I don't think this programme could possibly work at all with dubbed American accents.

Fantastic and well worth the watch.

[Ronnie_mcdowell · 10/10 · 26 January 2023]

I'm not always one for watching a series with subtitles (as I don't speak French) but this series was well worth the watch. The characters as individuals were absolutely fantastic and as the series went on their stories intertwined showing how small the world actually is but also how divided it can be! There's lots of history behind people my age and we all tend to read the parts that make up the small parts but this show tells us the story of how women in an age where they were far less thought of came together and showed how good their strengths are. It's a fantastic show and a great story from a completely different perspective than the history books. Well done all involved. Just sorry there won't be a second series!

Tres Bien

[fiona_rp · 10/10 · 28 July 2023]

Absolutely fantastic!!! A great story line and well organised. The story flies beautifully with all four main female characters well cast and evenly featured in the plot, a very difficult thing to achieve.

I loved it; entertaining, interesting and emotional these attributes are superbly blended to achieve this most wonderful series.

I binged watched it I could not resist. Thank you for your story, it's portrayal and englightening presentation. Thank you for excellent casting, acting and sheer brilliance. I've not enjoyed a series like this in a long time, my deepest sincerest gratitude to you all.