War of the Buttons, The

Aroview: A spirited adaptation of Louis Pergaud's classic novel, relocated to the 60s where two rival factions of children wage war in provincial France.

Although the film is at pains to relate its coming-of-age tale to the murmurs of a faraway Algerian War, this remains mercifully free of big themes, preferring instead to capture to exuberance of childhood through the playful actions of its young cast.