---
title: "De Gaulle: Résistance"
year: 2026
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/de-gaulle-resistance"
fi1m_id: "de-gaulle-resistance"
imdb_id: "tt28553375"
tmdb_id: 1165366
wikidata_id: "Q120640544"
fi1m_score: 70
critics_score: 67
critics_reviews: 6
published: "2026-09-24T11:58:20.279288+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-24T11:58:20.665145+00:00"
region: "AE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# De Gaulle: Résistance (2026)

Directed by Antonin Baudry · 2h 40m · History, Drama

## Identity

De Gaulle: Résistance

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/de-gaulle-resistance
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** de-gaulle-resistance
- **IMDb ID:** tt28553375
- **TMDB ID:** 1165366
- **Wikidata ID:** Q120640544
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28553375/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1165366, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q120640544

**Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 67 from 6 reviews

*In a sentence:* The arguments with Churchill are lively enough to make another historical briefing feel like an unreasonable interruption

> Simon Abkarian and Simon Russell Beale give this sturdy wartime drama a welcome sense of humour. The fighting carries weight, but 160 minutes of history leave too much room for explanation and too little for private life.

## Synopsis

Charles de Gaulle (Simon Abkarian) wants French resistance to the Nazis to continue. His dealings with Winston Churchill (Simon Russell Beale) bring another set of conflicts, as political disagreements run alongside the military struggle. Koenig (Benoît Magimel) and Darlan (Mathieu Kassovitz) are among the figures in an account that follows the men directing the war as well as those fighting it. De Gaulle presses his cause through confrontations with Churchill, while the Free French carry on the armed resistance. The focus is on his public campaign and the wider wartime struggle.

## Review

Antonin Baudry’s *De Gaulle: Résistance* is a good historical drama with an excessive appetite for explanation. It wants to make the case for continued French resistance and show the difficulty of keeping that cause alive among powerful, quarrelsome men. The scale is large, the sympathies are clear, and the storytelling is mostly easy to follow. At 160 minutes, though, it gives us rather more instruction than the story needs.

Simon Abkarian gives Charles de Gaulle enough conviction to sustain that approach, without making every encounter feel like an occasion for reverence. The most enjoyable passages put him in conflict with Winston Churchill, played by Simon Russell Beale, whose presence gives de Gaulle someone worth arguing with. We warmed to their sparring because the humour allows these political figures to become tolerable company. Their disagreements bring some welcome friction to a film whose admiration for its central figure is seldom in doubt.

The screenplay, credited to Bérénice Vila and Antonin Baudry, is less confident about leaving us to make connections. Explanatory passages keep events accessible, which matters in a story involving this many military and political figures. But the accumulation becomes tiring, and the film sometimes seems reluctant to move on until every point has been underlined. A little less instruction would have given the performances more space and reduced the sense of a long historical account being carefully worked through.

The fighting at Bir Hakeim gives the film a more compelling way of showing what resistance demands of the Free French. Pierre Cottereau’s cinematography lends these sequences a physical force that justifies the attention paid to them. The scale matters because the people caught in the fighting remain important; the human cost receives attention alongside the military struggle. These passages make the cause easier to understand than another explanation of why it matters, and they give the film some necessary urgency.

Benoît Barouh’s production design contributes to the imposing scale of the Parisian crowd scenes. There is pleasure in a historical film that gives its public events this much space, although the weight of the spectacle can become overbearing. Hauschka’s music makes less of an impression than the battle and crowd sequences. The production is accomplished, but its determination to treat history with proper seriousness occasionally makes the whole thing feel cumbersome.

The limited attention to de Gaulle’s family life also narrows the portrait. We get little sense of what his commitments require from the people closest to him. That choice keeps the political and military story prominent, at the expense of a fuller understanding of the man. Simon Abkarian makes the public encounters convincing enough to leave us wishing the screenplay allowed more time away from them.

By the standards of the traditional wartime biopic, this is sturdy, engaging work, with enough humour to ease some of its solemnity. Its straightforward patriotism is most persuasive when the film stays close to the strain of resistance. The heavier explanatory stretches make it harder to recommend to anyone without an existing interest in the subject. Come for the political quarrels and the fighting, with patience for the briefings.

*Fi1m score 70, published 24 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find De Gaulle: Résistance an engaging, conventional historical spectacle, with praise clustering around its battle sequences and the lively relationship between de Gaulle and Churchill. Simon Abkarian’s performance earns particular approval from Variety, while several reviews welcome the film’s ability to make a detailed wartime history accessible. The Bir Hakeim sequences draw praise for their scale and physical force, with HeyUGuys also stressing their attention to the human cost of resistance.

The reservations concern how heavily the film delivers that history. Some critics find passages overlong or overly explanatory, and its wealth of detail can weigh it down. The spread runs from warm approval to Screen Daily’s more doubtful assessment of an unsubtle, overbearing film, though even that review credits the action. Its old-fashioned approach pleases some critics more than others; Eye for Film also notes how little attention de Gaulle’s family life receives.

## Straight answers

**Is De Gaulle: Résistance worth watching?**

*De Gaulle: Résistance* is worth watching for those interested in wartime history and political quarrels; we score it 70 out of 100. Simon Abkarian and Simon Russell Beale bring welcome humour to de Gaulle and Churchill’s sparring, while the fighting carries weight, but the 160-minute running time includes too much explanation and too little private life.

**How long is De Gaulle: Résistance, and what is it rated?**

*De Gaulle: Résistance* runs 2h 40m. It is a history and drama film.

**Where can I watch De Gaulle: Résistance in the UAE?**

*De Gaulle: Résistance* is not on any streaming or rental service in the UAE at the moment. It is available in 1 other country; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is De Gaulle: Résistance, and is it suitable for children?**

*De Gaulle: Résistance* has a UK 15 certificate and forceful wartime battle sequences, making it unsuitable for children under 15. The fighting at Bir Hakeim gives attention to the human cost as well as the military struggle, so we would urge caution for squeamish viewers; the lengthy political and historical explanations also suit an older audience.

**How does De Gaulle: Résistance compare to The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp?**

*De Gaulle: Résistance* offers a more narrowly public portrait of wartime leadership than [*The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp*](https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp), which we recommend more warmly for its humour and understanding of its central soldier. Both make military pride and political disagreement engaging, but *Blimp* gives friendship and ageing greater attention, while *De Gaulle* concentrates on resistance, political confrontations and fighting.

**What should I watch after De Gaulle: Résistance?**

After *De Gaulle: Résistance*, try [*The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp*](https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp) (1943, Fi1m 91): For military pride, political disagreement and friendships tested by successive wars. Then [*The Battle of Algiers*](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers) (1966, Fi1m 93): Resistance filmed at street level, with far less comfort in heroic leadership; and [*Lincoln*](https://film.one/film/lincoln) (2012, Fi1m 82): Patient political bargaining gives another imposing historical figure room to become human.

### Reviews we read (6)

- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (75/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the biopic an entertaining, quietly amusing romp with an affectionate, sympathetic view of de Gaulle. He especially praises the lively double-act between de Gaulle and Churchill, and the film’s focus on the Free French at Bir Hakeim. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/aug/26/de-gaulle-resistance-review-a-galloping-bromance-for-churchill-and-frances-wartime-hero)
- **Variety**, Tomris Laffly (72/100, inferred): Laffly finds the large-scale biopic conventional but consistently engaging, with some overlong and overly explanatory passages. She particularly praises Simon Abkarian’s convincing performance and the lively dynamic between De Gaulle and Churchill. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/de-gaulle-resistance-review-1236757549/)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (3/5): The review presents the film as a sturdy historical epic. It singles out the wartime clashes with the Nazis and Churchill. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/de-gaulle-resistance-review-2026)
- **Screen Daily**, Dave Calhoun (45/100, inferred): Calhoun finds the film old-fashioned, unsubtle and overbearing, though it works as uncomplicated historical spectacle. He praises its vigorous action sequences and accessible presentation of a detailed sequence of events. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/de-gaulle-resistance-review-broad-brush-old-fashioned-biopic-of-former-french-president-charles-de-gaulle/5217107.article)
- **HeyUGuys** (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an absorbing, accomplished historical epic, though its wealth of detail can feel heavy. They especially praise the Battle of Bir Hakeim sequences for their scale, physicality and attention to the human cost of resistance. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/de-gaulle-resistance-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Richard Mowe (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the epic engaging and timely, with a rousing old-fashioned patriotism. The battle sequences and enormous Parisian crowds are especially praised, while the film gives little attention to de Gaulle’s family life. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/de-gaulle-resistance-2026-film-review-by-richard-mowe)

## Details

- **Director:** Antonin Baudry
- **Director:** Antonin Baudry
- **Screenplay:** Antonin Baudry, Bérénice Vila
- **Cinematography:** Pierre Cottereau
- **Music:** Hauschka
- **Production design:** Benoît Barouh
- **Costume design:** Laurence Chalou
- **Producer:** Axelle Boucaï, Jérôme Seydoux, Ardavan Safaee
- **Cast:** Simon Abkarian as Charles de Gaulle; Simon Russell Beale as Winston Churchill; Florian Lesieur as Fernand; Benoît Magimel as Koenig; Mathieu Kassovitz as Darlan; Loïc Corbery as Pleven; Anamaria Vartolomei as Livia; Niels Schneider as Général Leclerc
- **Runtime:** 2h 40m
- **First release (France):** 20 May 2026
- **Genres:** History, Drama
- **Budget:** $25 million
- **Box office:** $19 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKUArYoZ_0U

## Where to watch in the UAE

Not streaming, renting or buying in the UAE at the last check.

Also available in: FR. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Army of Shadows* (1969): A colder, more intimate account of resistance and the choices it demands.
- *The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp* (1943), Fi1m 91: For military pride, political disagreement and friendships tested by successive wars. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp.md)
- *The Battle of Algiers* (1966), Fi1m 93: Resistance filmed at street level, with far less comfort in heroic leadership. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers.md)
- *The Wind That Shakes the Barley* (2006): Another struggle for independence, attentive to the divisions that conviction can create.
- *Lincoln* (2012), Fi1m 82: Patient political bargaining gives another imposing historical figure room to become human. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/lincoln.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/de-gaulle-resistance