Cheap Le Crabe Tambour (Video) (Jean Rochefort, Claude Rich, Jacques Perrin) (Pierre Schoendoerffer) Price

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Customer Reviews of Le Crabe Tambour

Epic, tragicomic and moving tale of a discarded warrior
A little-known cinematic masterpiece of sweeping scope, "Le Crabe Tambour" is a film for people who like a good story and who like to think. It's a wonderful film, a film with real and interesting characters and a film with a real, honest-to-god story. These are rare qualities in movies days and, very unfortunately, there is no way that Hollywood would make a movie like this today. I first saw "Le Crab Tambour" at a Filmex (now defunct Los Angeles film festival) in the 80s and was haunted by it for years. When this VHS version became availavble I was serving in an overseas post (in Eastern Europe) and had to wait several weeks for the video to arrive. I watched the tape in awe. The story development is quite sophisticated and there are many references to Joseph Conrad. If you are a Conrad fan you will find this film to your liking. But it is also linked to Schoendorfer's superb Indochina War film "The 317th Platoon" also available from Amazon. (Buy it if you don't have it.) "Le Crab Tambour" moves beyond the Indochina theater to the "Savage War of Peace" in Algeria and beyond. It helps if you are somewhat familiar with the history of what happened in France's colonies after World War II but this is in no way a documentary. This is a poetic and beautiful story that (at least in my case) captivates and transports you into several wildly different worlds. The central image -- the most amazing and completely Gallic image -- is that of the French naval rating playing a bugle as a little French riverine craft chugs down a Vietnam river. Absurd, tragic, doomed, yet astoundingly beautiful. Our central character (again, related to the "317th") travels on a junk from Indochina to a series of adventures from Somalia to Algeria to Paris to the North Atlantic. Even if you are not particularly fond of the French you will enjoy this film. Should you be a combat veteran of Vietnam or post Vietnam conflicts you will have a special appreciation of the characters.

Only caveat is this is a subtitled film (French track but the subtitles are crisp and easy to read). On the other hand, if you like Joseph Conrad you have to buy this tape. Just buy it.

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A French Meditation on Personal and National Honor
Le Crabe Tambour is a moody piece that explores the conflicts inherent in following one's own sense of honor. The backdrop of French colonial involvement in Indochina provides a tableau that will resonate for Americans who experenced their own personal conflicts during America's involvement in Vietnam. However, Le Crabe Tambour is much more than a (French) Vietnam period piece. It follows the conscience of the protagonist through his own inward reflections and overt actions during French involvement in Indochina, and later, in Algeria. Historically compelling, and full of sub-plots and rich character development: this is a fine film that requires time to ponder. As such, it is not for everyone, and won't qualify as "entertainment" for many. However, it is a deeply rewarding journey into the complex world of personal and national honor, in a French context. Le Crabe Tambour is also a film which draws upon jungle, desert, and maritime landscapes to provide symbolic illustration to the riveting story unfolding. I enjoyed viewing this film the first time I saw it; and every time I watch it I find more to think about.