The 317th Platoon


The 317th Platoon is a 1965 French war film set during the First Indochina War written and directed by Pierre Schoendoerffer. The film was based on Schoendoerffer's 1963 novel of the same name.

Plot

In 1954 while the Battle of Dien Bien Phu is being fought, the 317th Platoon, composed of Laotian troops and four French officers and NCOs, is ordered to go to the Tao-Tsai post. There it has to join the "Heartbreaker" column which is attempting to reach Die Bien Phu.
The leaders of the platoon are Warrant Officer Willsdorff, a highly experienced soldier, and the new Second Lieutenant Torrens.

Cast

Schoendoerffer had been a POW in Vietnam following the French defeat at the Battle of Din Bien Phu.
The film was shot with a crew of six in the middle of a Cambodian forest during the rainy season. "I imposed a strict military regime on everyone," Schoendoerffer said. "A war film shouldn't be made in comfort."

Reception

Critical

It was entered into the 1965 Cannes Film Festival where it won the award for Best Screenplay.

Box Office

It was the 21st most popular film at the French box office in 1965.

Legacy

In 2018, military historian Sir Antony Beevor named The 317th Platoon as "the greatest war movie ever made", "followed closely by 1966's The Battle of Algiers".