Did young French demoiselles of the early 1900's fall in love exclusively with young army officers with mustaches? Or were mustaches just de rigeur for all men of the period? I found myself wondering about this during some of the less enthralling moments of The Grand Maneuver, a capricious little item now showing at the Brattle.

The film is billed as a "dramatic comedy." There is drama in it, to be sure, and its comedy scenes often provoke chuckles, yet the principal value of the film is probably to first-year French students. The plot, for all its fragility, holds one's attention most of the time, and some of the scenes are quite funny, but an average story line and a few laughs are not really sufficient reasons for going to the movies--unless one has an ulterior motive, in this case perhaps a desire to brush up on one's French.

An ambitious French A student will find the film's dialogue not very difficult to comprehend, translated adequately by the subtitles (though, of course, without the many nuances which were important to the film) and, in general, much more fun than a language lab. Actually, though, much of the humor was wordless; director Rene Clair has not lost his touch for creating telling little dramas without dialogue (also without subtlety, as was most of the film).

Indeed, many movie-goers could enjoy the film while ignoring both dialogue and subtitles, for the costumes and decor were, in themselves, a treat for the eye. I cannot say how faithful they were to the period, but it doesn't matter; the multi-colored uniforms of the dragoons, the lively dresses worn by the bevies of pretty girls, and the luxurious furniture made a very impressive spectacle.

Unfortunately, there is less to The Grand Maneuver than meets the eye. The plot is about what one would expect of an Italian opera buffa, and, despite the brevity of the film, one's interest in the story often wanes. The hero, Armand, is a philandering young dragoon in the French army who would undoubtedly swagger if Gerard Philippe had put a little more spirit into the role. Armand wagers that he can, before the company goes on maneuvers, "win the favors of" some young mademoiselle, who has yet to be selected. At the provincial Red Cross ball Armand decides, by chance, on the holder of lottery ticket 34. She turns out to be a newly-arrived young woman named Marie-Louise Riviere, who looks sad and disillusioned, and remains that way throughout the film. The rest of the plot breaks no new ground. As Armand rather listlessly woos Marie-Louise, alternately losing and winning her favor, two or three other pairs of lovers alternately exchange caresses and reproaches. No one gets very excited, and that includes the audience, which can't be blamed for remaining rather apathetic to the disappointing conclusion.

Oddly enough, Frenchmen are supposed to be very emotional and quick to display their feelings; you certainly wouldn't say so from The Grand Maneuver. The acting was quite stolid and spiritless. M. Philippe, alternately confident and cowed, displayed a rather narrow range of emotions, and I wished at times that he would explode in anger or dissolve in passion, instead of just standing still and raising his eyebrows. Michele Morgan, the disillusioned milliner, was also rather static; it seemed that the director had instructed her to play a long-suffering, cynical woman, and that's about all she did. Brigitte Bardot, who appeared now and then as another dragoon's lover, acted like a high school girl in her first play.

With mediocre actors, a hackneyed story line, and dialogue that sounded at times like exercises from an elementary French textbook, any merits of the film must be credited to the settings and the direction, and the latter was inconsistent. While the film as a whole lacked cohesion, and the quick shifts from one scene to another were often confusing, the individual vignettes were executed with just the right mixture of subtlety and brashness.

If you'd like to rest your eyes and your psyche for a brief evening--or if you're looking for a play for an amateur theatrical group--The Grand Maneuver will fill the bill nicely.