Lost Command

In the final hours of the 1954 battle, a battered French battalion braces for a last push by Việt Minh forces. An exhausted defense falters as Headquarters sends only a single plane of paratroopers, who are slaughtered on landing. Major de Clairefons is killed when his parachute drags him into a minefield, leaving Lt. Col. Raspéguy furious at the strategic decisions behind the operation.

The Việt Minh overrun the French position and the survivors are captured and imprisoned. Raspéguy's leadership helps keep the men together in captivity, sustaining morale under harsh conditions. The collapse at Dien Bien Phu sets the stage for postwar recriminations and reflections on the battle.

After a treaty, the prisoners are released and return home. Raspéguy leads the men to demolish a delousing station, which they perceive as a humiliating symbol of the war. The act becomes a cathartic assertion of dignity in the wake of captivity.

Back in Algeria, Ben Mahidi is disgusted by the harsh treatment of his people. His teenaged brother is machine gunned by police for graffiti supporting independence, pushing Mahidi to desert the army. He joins the FLN and rises as a guerrilla leader fighting colonial rule.

Upon returning from Indochina, Raspéguy begins a relationship with Countess Nathalie de Clairefons, widow of the Major who died trying to reinforce his battalion. The romance introduces him to influential military contacts. Her influence helps propel his later command in the Algerian War.

Using his new connections, Raspéguy is given command of the 10th Regiment of Parachutistes Coloniaux, serving under General Melies. The assignment is framed as his last chance to salvage his career if the unit falters. The stakes heighten as counter-insurgency operations begin in urban and rural Algeria.

Raspéguy recruits his Indochina comrades and harshly trains the battalion, using live ammunition on assault courses to push speed and initiative. The brutal regimen cements discipline but also strains loyalties. The tense environment foreshadows the morally gray conduct to come.

Esclavier falls in love with Aicha, Mahidi's sister who is loyal to the FLN. Her friendship with Esclavier is used to smuggle detonators, showing how personal relationships intertwine with political loyalties. Esclavier begins to reassess his country’s conduct as both sides push the limits of war.

As the conflict intensifies, FLN rebels and French paratroopers jockey to outdo each other, testing the boundaries of the laws of war. Esclavier’s naivety gives way to a harsher view of the conflict. The fighting spreads through both urban and rural environments.

Raspéguy increasingly distances himself from any comrades who sympathize with the FLN. He asserts his authority, wearing Lt. Col ranks while being addressed as General, signaling his firmer grip on command. The moral divide within the regiment deepens as loyalties fracture.

In the film’s final moments, Raspéguy receives a medal as his regiment is presented with a unit citation. The ceremony marks a symbolic vindication of his leadership amidst controversial actions. The crowd’s reactions hint at the unresolved tensions of the era.

Outside the compound, Esclavier, having left the army in disgust, watches a child paint a pro-independence slogan on the wall and laughs grimly. The image underscores the irreconcilable views that persist after years of conflict. The scene closes the narrative on a note of conflicted legacy.