The Colonel

The Colonel

Year: 2006

Runtime: 110 mins

Language: French

Director: Laurent Herbiet

CrimeDramaHistoryWar

A former colonel is found dead in Paris decades after Algeria won independence. Lieutenant Galois leads the investigation and receives the diary of Lieutenant Guy Rossi, who served under the colonel in Algeria in 1956 and has been missing since 1957. Rossi’s notes reveal the colonel’s deeds and expose the brutal, hidden side of the Algerian War.

Dark
Ambiguous ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Mixed pacing
Complex story

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Timeline & Setting – The Colonel (2006)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Colonel (2006). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1993, with 1955-1957 flashbacks

The action primarily takes place in 1993 France, following a police inquiry into a brutal past. Interwoven are stark flashbacks to the Algerian War era (1955-1957), showing Rossi’s experiences under Duplan’s command. The narrative uses these shifts to contrast the present-day quest for accountability with memories that refuse to fade.

Location

France, Algeria

Set in present-day France with a police investigation surrounding a retired colonel, the film also opens a window into the Algerian War’s legacy. The investigation unfolds in formal military and civilian settings where silence can be as dangerous as weapons. Flashbacks to Algeria depict a world shaped by occupation and conflict, giving the locations a haunted, historical dimension.

🇫🇷 France 🌍 Algeria

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:15

Main Characters – The Colonel (2006)

Meet the key characters of The Colonel (2006), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Le colonel Raoul Duplan (Olivier Gourmet)

A retired, imposing figure who embodies the brutal logic used to “secure order” during the Algerian War. He exerts authority with a calm, controlling demeanor, yet his diary reveals a penchant for dirty methods and a troubling lack of remorse. His influence casts a long shadow over the present investigation and the choices that follow.

🎖️ Authority ⚔️ Violence 🗝️ Secrets

Le lieutenant Galois (Cécile De France)

A young army officer assigned to assist the case. She approaches the diary and the case with discipline and curiosity, gradually uncovering the moral complexities behind the past. Her stance as an officer places her at the center of the conflict between duty and conscience.

🔎 Investigation 🧭 Duty 🧠 Determination

Lieutenant Guy Rossi (Robinson Stévenin)

A wartime lieutenant whose diary recounts torture, public executions, and a struggle to resist demoralizing orders. He disobeys a firing squad directive, showing a moment of personal rebellion amid brutal constraints. His life and disappearance echo through the present as a haunting memory.

⚖️ Morality 🗡️ Violence 🕯️ Memory

Le père Rossi (Charles Aznavour)

Rossi’s father, who receives the diary and becomes a pivotal, morally centric witness. He acknowledges his own act of murder linked to the larger colonial brutality he witnesses, embodying intergenerational guilt and defiance. His confrontation reveals the human cost of the past.

🕊️ Memory 🗝️ Legacy 🎭 Complicity

Le commandant Reidacher (Bruno Solo)

A commanding military/official figure in the investigation, representing institutional authority. He anchors the procedural aspect of the case and embodies the bureaucratic side of power.

🏛️ Authority 🧭 Bureaucracy

Le commissaire Quitard (Thierry Hancisse)

A police official who navigates the inquiry and its political consequences. He reflects the procedural pressures and the moral questions raised by the diary’s revelations.

🎖️ Law 🕵️ Investigation

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:15

Major Themes – The Colonel (2006)

Explore the central themes of The Colonel (2006), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Moral Ambiguity

The film asks whether brutal tactics can ever be justified by their supposed goals. Duplan’s authority is built on a price paid in violence and fear. Rossi’s diary chronicles the uneasy line between order and cruelty.

🕯️ Memory and Guilt

Memory acts as a dangerous witness, resurrecting past actions in the present. The diary and the father’s confession cast long shadows over both duty and personal responsibility. The story treats memory as a conduit for truth and a burden that can never be fully reconstructed.

🪖 Authority and Dissent

The hierarchy of command is challenged when personal conscience conflicts with orders. Rossi’s disobedience hints at moral resistance within the army. Galois’ investigative gaze navigates the tension between duty and the demand for accountability, ending with ambiguity about justice.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:15

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Investigation of dark histories like in The Colonel

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically alternates between a meticulous present-day investigation and intense flashbacks to the historical event. The protagonist's journey is one of discovery, piecing together fragmented evidence and testimonies, often leading to a revelation that challenges official histories and forces a confrontation with collective or personal guilt.

Why These Movies?

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Stories of war guilt and moral reckoning like The Colonel

Stories grappling with the psychological and ethical scars of combat long after the war is over.For viewers who appreciated The Colonel's deep dive into the moral aftermath of war, this section collects similar movies about guilt, trauma, and historical reckoning. These are heavy dramas that examine the hidden psychological costs of conflict long after the fighting has ended.

morally conflictedsombergrittypsychologicalheavyreflectivehistorical

Narrative Summary

The narrative often centers on a character or group forced to confront their actions from a past war. Through flashbacks, testimonies, or unexpected confrontations, the story explores themes of culpability, the ambiguity of survival, and the search for redemption or, more often, a way to simply live with an unbearable past.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their unflinching examination of the moral and psychological damage inflicted by war. They share a dark, heavy tone, a focus on internal conflict over external action, and a commitment to portraying the complexity of guilt and the difficulty of finding closure for historical sins.

Unlock the Full Story of The Colonel

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The Colonel Summary

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The Colonel Summary

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The Colonel Timeline

The Colonel Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About The Colonel

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