— On lui voyait le blanc des yeux, au frère, et on le crevait. En foutant la verte à tout le régiment.

Bertrand Tavernier has created an epic war film that spends a majority of its running time away from actual battles. While the pace is slow, including several long sequences that may test attention spans, the issues tackled in Capitaine Conan are complex and interesting. These problems usually remain in the background of war films, but Tavernier brings them to the foreground. No simple answers exist to his questions, and this adds to the importance and power of the film. — Dan Heaton

Beautifully acted and filmed (largely with handheld cameras), Capitaine Conan is an involving look at the larger issues brought to light by war, with an emphasis on the ethical choices individuals make. These factors and its ambiguous characters—Torreton‘s in particular—help make Capitaine Conan memorable viewing, a war film that finds humanity in inhumane surroundings. — Keith Phipps

— Regardez, ça fume, là-bas. Les paysans sont rentrés chez eux. La vie, tout de même… ça ne s’arrête jamais.
— Ça dépend pour qui.