Signis

Rebellion/ L’Ordre et La Morale

(JPEG)

France, 2011, Mathieu Kassovitz, Iabe Lapakis, Philippe Torreton, Sylvie Testud, Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz.

A film of more than passing interest for audiences in this part of the world. The setting is an uprising in New Caledonia in 1988, and the harsh putting down of the action (not a rebellion) by the French military, at the time of the presidential elections, the choice between Francois Mitterand and Jacques Chirac.

The title Rebellion is more of a commercial choice than an indication of what takes place. Later in the film, a French minister visiting Noumea talks about authorities having to take drastic action, at the expense of lives, to keep order and morality. Ethical spin. The French title has more depth.

Actor Mathieu Kassovitz wrote the screenplay, adapting a work of fiction based on fact by the character he plays, Philippe Legorjus,from GIGN, the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, who had military and commando training but who also worked as a mediator in hostage situations. At little notice, he and his team are ordered to the island of Ouvea in New Caledonia because of a group of locals attacking a police station and killing four gendarmes. They have also taken hostages to a cave, which they also do to Legorjus and a group of his men.

What might have been a small action to rescue the hostages or which might have been a more straightforward negotiation for their release becomes a big operation with military, helicopters, a flamethrower - and the deaths of the leader and many of the men. We see the efforts of Legorjus in searching for the first hostages, dealing with the military and the local police and finding himself something of a pawn in the hands of the general and officers in Noumea and then of the politicking of the candidates for the presidency (using an excerpt of a TV debate between the two contenders and their attitudes towards terrorism). He is left ‘hung out to dry’ and then commanded to obey military orders whether he agreed with them or not.

These aspects of the film make sobering viewing, the remoteness of policy and action decision-makers from the actual events and the people involved. ‘It is better for some men to die for the sake of the country.’ [Distractions arise during the film as we think of the last decade in Afghanistan and behaviour of US military as well as the international discussions about the war and NATO and other presence.]

It requires some attention to follow the details of the group that had made the initial attack and their earnest anti-colonialism and demands for autonomy and freedom, but it is made clear what they mean as we watch the French in action, even though New Caledonia is part of France (with a referendum on this scheduled for 2014). Ethnic and racial bigotry are also evident. At the same time, the ‘official’ movement for independence distances itself from this uprising - but the leader, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, was assassinated a year later (and his memory is now well preserved in the museum in Noumea). We see sympathetic locals trying to mediate as well as a French magistrate who works with Legorjus.

The final part of the film shows us the attack on the cave, immersing the audience in the experience of crawling through the jungle and being under fire. Ultimately, Legorjus is both disillusioned by what has happened and the thwarting of his efforts, agitated by the deaths (especially shootings after the capture of the locals), yet still having to stand by his military oaths of obedience and loyalty.

Peter Malone