Women at War
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Women at War
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Women at War is a French miniseries (available subtitled and dubbed in English) that features strong women supporting the war effort at the beginning of World War I. It features lots of violence, including women being slapped, and people being shot, blown up, and gassed, and gruesome bloody wounds are visible. Sexual assault, sex work, pregnancy, STDs, and abortion are also themes. Some episodes contain full male and female nudity and simulated sex acts. There's also cursing, drinking, cigarette smoking, and visible cocaine use. All this being said, it also highlights the different roles women played in France to support the effort during this time.
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What's the Story?
WOMEN AT WAR (Les Combattantes) is a French miniseries about four women whose lives intersect at the start of World War I. It's 1914, and in the village of Saint-Paulin, near the French-German border, French forces are trying to keep the Germans from reaching Paris. It's dangerous, but Marguerite de Lancaster (Audrey Fleurot) has traveled from Paris to work in a brothel in the area, while Suzanne Faure (Camille Lou) finds herself looking for a place to hide in the area to avoid being arrested by Louis Compoing (Noam Morgansztern) for murder. Meanwhile, local resident Caroline Dewitt (Sofia Essaidi) is trying to keep the family business going while her husband is at the front, and Mother Superior Agnes (Julie de Bona) has opened the local convent to help wounded soldiers. Their paths soon cross as the violence escalates, and they each find themselves doing unexpected things to help the war effort. But circumstances also force each of them to come to terms with their past in unexpected ways.
Is It Any Good?
The entertaining, yet violent wartime miniseries (available subtitled and dubbed in English) is a WWI tale told through the eyes of four women who find themselves supporting the war effort. Marguerite, Suzanne, Caroline, and the Mother Superior represent the different roles that women historically played during the first world war while the men were away. Granted, each of their stories offers a fair amount of melodrama, which includes illicit romances, betrayals, and espionage. But while not perfect, these women are strong, and push against the patriarchal systems that persist despite the crisis in which they find themselves.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about World War I. Why did it break out? Why did it last so long? If it was such a horrible experience, why was there a second world war just 20 years later?
What is the significance behind Women at War being presented through the eyes of individual women? Had their stories been told from by heir husbands, families, or soldiers, how would the narratives change? Why?
TV Details
- Premiere date: January 19, 2023
- Cast: Sofia Essaidi, Camille Lou, Audrey Fleurot, Julie De Bona
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: History
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Courage, Perseverance
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: January 27, 2023
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