A Very Long Engagement (2004)

Set in 1919, *A Very Long Engagement* plunges viewers into the unwavering quest of Mathilde (Audrey Tautou), a young woman who refuses to accept the official notice of her fiancé Manech's death on the Somme front. Despite being told that Manech, like millions of others, was "killed on the field of battle" and that he perished in the infamous 'no man's land' of a trench named Bingo Crepescule alongside four other men condemned for self-inflicted wounds, Mathilde clings to an unshakeable intuition. She believes that if Manech had truly died, she would know, and this conviction fuels her determination to challenge fate and uncover the truth, no matter the obstacles or the grim realities of post-war France. While ostensibly a sweeping wartime romance, *A Very Long Engagement* excels as a captivating mystery, earning its place on any "Best Mystery movies" list. Mathilde's journey transforms her into an unwitting but tenacious detective, meticulously piecing together fragments of information, interviewing unreliable witnesses, and navigating a labyrinth of wartime secrets and cover-ups. The film masterfully builds suspense not just around Manech's ultimate fate – is he alive or truly dead? – but also around the specific, brutal circumstances that led to the 'condemnation' of the five soldiers, blurring the lines between military justice and execution. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's distinctive visual flair enhances the investigative process, painting a vivid, often haunting, tableau as Mathilde unearths the hidden truths of the battlefield, making the audience as invested in the reveal as Mathilde herself.