DeGaulle Part 1 Resistance (2026)

DEGAULLE: PART 1 RESISTENCE grabbed me by the throat and held me tight until the end. I did not want to walk away from the film at any point, to the extent that I knew I was going to be late for a zoom meeting if the film didn’t end before the start time.

The film is the story of DeGaulle from the German invasion of France until the assassination Admiral Darlan who was briefly put in charge of the Free French by the Americans before he was shot. The film is also the story of one young man who is fighting the Germans in France.

This is one of the best films of 2026. A staggering old school historical epic that manages to be both intimate and truly epic, with DeGaulle and the tanks at the start and the Battle of Bir Hakeim which is shown to have changed the Allies feelings about the French, are as good as any set pieces in any film this year. Actually, the siege is so magnificently done that I wish we had a whole film covering the events in the desert. There is a need to see the whole story of that act of heroism without the cutting back and forth to DeGaulle in Europe.

What makes the film work is the the way the film makes us feel for DeGaulle. While he is often seems stiff and stereotypically stoic and unemotional, the film manages to color him on infinite levels. This is thanks to Simon Abkarian's performance, which is one for the ages.  Playing things small and close to the vest he gives us every emotion in looks and subtle body shifts. DeGaulle may look like a man in control but we know he is not. We also get to see the difference between the General and the dad in a short sequence where he lights up when he sees his daughter who had Downs Syndrome. The smile and wave speaks volumes. Abkarian gives one of the greatest performances of the last decade and it will be ignored by most award groups because it isn't showy and loud, despite being note perfect and dead on.

I should point out that the film isn't exactly precisely what happened. Details are compressed or simplified, not because the filmmakers are lazy, but because there isn't enough time to explain it all. For example the whole Admiral Darlan thread would really require a whole film unto itself, as would the story of his assassin. The filmmakers kept it brief simply because it affects DeGaulle's tale but isn't the focus. When you see the film remember this is a movie not gospel history.

I loved this film.

As I said above this is one of the best films I've seen this year.  Hopefully the second part of the story won't disappoint.

Recommended.