A Very Long Engagement
Un long dimanche de fiançailles

Movie Poster

Country	France
Directed by	Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Release Date	October 27, 2004
Language	French German
Studio	2003 Productions
Distributor	Warner Independent Pictures

Main Cast
Character	Actor
Mathilde Donnay	Audrey Tautou
Manech Langonne	Gaspard Ulliel
Sylvain	Dominique Pinon
Tina Lombardi	Marion Cotillard
Véronique Passavant	Julie Depardieu
François Lavrouye	Jean-Claude Dreyfus
Pierre-Marie Rouvières	André Dussollier
Élodie Gordes	Jodie Foster

A Very Long Engagement is a 2004 French romantic World War I film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Alien: Resurrection). The film stars Audrey Tautou as Mathilde Donnay, a young woman whose desperate search for her fiancée leads to her subsequent discovery that he is one of five soldiers that have been convicted of self-mutilation in order to escape military service during World War I. They are condemned to face near-certain death in the no man's land between the French and German trench lines unarmed. It appears that all of them were killed in the subsequent Battle of The Somme, but Mathilde refuses to give up hope and begins to uncover clues as to what actually took place on the battlefield. She discovers the brutally corrupt system used by the French military to deal with those who tried to escape the front during her search and what happened to the other men who were sentenced to no man's land as a punishment.

The following weapons were used in the film A Very Long Engagement:

Pistols

Ruby Pistol

Bastoche (Jérôme Kircher) accidentally wounds himself while trying to kill rats with a Ruby Pistol.

Gabilondo Ruby - .32 ACP

Startled by a few rats, Bastoche hastily reaches for the Ruby lying next to the bed.

A slightly different view of the Ruby.

Luger P08

Thouvenel (François Levantal) is seen with a Luger P08 during a meeting with Tina Lombardi (Marion Cotillard).

Luger P08 - 9x19mm Parabellum

While approaching the mysterious woman, Thouvenel readies his drawn Luger.

He confronts the women with the Luger.

Revolvers

MAS Mle. 1892

French officers including Capitaine Favourier (Tchéky Karyo) are armed with Mle 1892 Revolvers.

Revolver d'ordonnance modèle 1892 - 8x27mmSR

A French officer killed during the advance still holds his Mle 1892 Revolver in a death-grip.

Webley Mk. VI

A French medic (Patrick Paroux) owns a British Webley .455 Mk VI that is taken by Manech Langonnet (Gaspard Ulliel).

Webley Mark VI - .455 Webley

Manech examines the Webley stolen from the medic.

With the revolver broken open, he blows a stone out of the chamber.

The medic gets back his Webley from Julien Phillipot (Stéphane Butet).

Chamelot-Delvigne Mle. 1873

Tina Lombardi (Marion Cotillard) uses a Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873.

Chamelot-Delvigne Modèle 1873 - 11x17.8mmR

After taking it out of the drawer, Tina cocks the hammer of her revolver.

She holds the Chamelot-Delvigne Model 1873, about to spit on the muzzle.

Smith & Wesson Fourth Model .32 DA

A Smith & Wesson 4th Model is seen on Tina's belt.

Smith & wesson 4th Model DA - .32

She cocks the hammer...

...and straightens her belt which offers a view of the grip.

Another close-up of the revolver hidden under her clothes.

Rifles

Berthier Mle. 1907/15

The majority of French soldiers including Manech Langonnet (Gaspard Ulliel), Benoît Notre-Dame (Clovis Cornillac), Francis "Six-Sous" Gaignard (Denis Lavant), Célestin Poux (Albert Dupontel) and Thouvenel (François Levantal) are armed with Berthier Mle. 1907/15 rifles. The rifles are fitted with "Rosalie" bayonets or Viven-Bessières Rifle Grenade Launchers.

Fusil Berthier Modèle 1907/15 - 8x50mmR Lebel

Benoît Notre-Dame opens the chamber to insert a sharpened cartridge.

Two French soldiers waiting for the music clock to chime in order to stop aiming at each other's hands.

Crouching Manech Langonnet wields his Berthier Rifle during the attack on German lines.

A Berthier lies next to a French soldier desperately trying to build a provisional earthen wall.

While Le corse menaçant (Eric Fraticelli) offers his surrender to the Germans in the middle of No Man's Land, Thouvenel chambers his Berthier.

Thouvenel takes a shot Le corse menaçant for being Corse, not French.

French soldiers affixing their "Rosalie" bayonets before going over the top.

Berthier Mle. 1916 Carabine

Some Berthier Model 1916 Carabines are also seen carried by French police officers and soldiers.

Mousqueton Berthier Modèle 1892 Modifié 1916 - 8x50mmR Lebel

Two Gendarmerie officers block Benoît Notre-Dame's way.

Lebel Mle. 1886

Despite the Berthier rifle being the most common rifle in the film, some French soldiers can also be seen with Lebel 1886s.

Fusil Lebel Modèle 1886 - 8x50mmR Lebel

A Lebel is seen on the right, leaning against the wall.

Mauser Gewehr 1898

Imperial German Army soldiers all use the correct Mauser Gewehr 1898 with fixed Seitengewehr 98/05 bayonets. Francis Gaignard (Denis Lavant) briefly holds a Mauser taken from a German soldier.

Mauser Gewehr 1898 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A shellshocked German soldier (Gaspar Claus) points his Gewehr 98 at Francis.

An over-the-shoulder perspective shows his opponent doing the same with a Berthier.

Machine Guns

Hotchkiss Mle. 1914

The Hotchkiss M1914 is the standard French machine gun.

Hotchkiss Modèle 1914 - 8x50mmR Lebel

A French soldier firing the Hotchkiss Machine Gun in a shelter.

FN MAG 58

Anachronistic FN MAG 58s mocked-up to resemble Maxim MG08s and Parabellum MG14s are used by German soldiers.

FN MAG 58 - 7.62x51mm NATO

An FN MAG mocked up as an MG14 mounted on a German aircraft which is actually a Boeing-Stearman Model 75 standing in for an Albatros D.III two-seater biplane.

Another FN MAG 58 mocked-up as an Maxim MG08/15 fired from a German bunker.

Chauchat Mle. 1915

A French soldier is very briefly seen with a Chauchat.

Chauchat Modèle 1915 - 8x50mmR Lebel

The drinking soldier to the right keeps the Chauchat in his left arm.

The soldier charges with his light machine gun.

Maxim MG 08

A genuine Maxim MG08 can be briefly seen in the German trench.

Maxim MG 08 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

The Maxim in the background behind Francis "Six-Sous" Gaignard (Denis Lavant).

Another with a "sledge" mount.

Hand Grenades

Grenade Contre fil Barbelé

A Grenade Contre Fil Barbelé can be seen in the French trench.

The grenade is seen on the wooden roof next to Manech on the left.

The same untouched grenade as he passes by.

Citron Foug Mle. 1916

A Citron Foug modèle 1916 grenade is used by Caporal Kléber Bouquet (Jérôme Kircher) to destroy the German Albatros.

Citron Foug modèle 1916 with 1st Model cap

The prepared grenade in his hand; the 1st model cap is thrown away (seen to the right).

A good view of the flying grenade in mid-air.

Pétard Grenade

Some Pétard Grenades can be seen in the French trench.

Pétard Grenade aka Third Army Grenade

Two grenades on the left as Favart (Philippe Duquesne) calls the names of the condemned.

Side view of a grenade between the two French soldiers in the background.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

Anachronistic Model 24 Stielhandgranates are seen lying in a German trench and No Man's Land. At least they are equipped with drilled belt clips to resemble period-correct Model 17s.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

A bunch of Stielhandgranaten between the French soldiers in the cleared out German trench. The one in the foreground, between the Minenwerfer and the kneeling soldier, is seen fitted with a belt clip.