Pathé's de Gaulle films sell 3m tickets ahead of vote
Twin biopics about Charles de Gaulle have sold over three million tickets, delivering a rare financial windfall for producer Pathé and serving as an unexpected political rallying point before France's upcoming elections.
Two historical dramas chronicling Charles de Gaulle’s fight against Nazi occupation have sold more than three million tickets since early June, making them one of the biggest French-produced hits of the year. The twin 160-minute films, directed by former diplomat Antonin Baudry, overcame a slow start at the box office to become an unexpected commercial force.
The strong ticket sales represent a significant financial result for the French studio Pathé. The company reportedly financed the project at a budget of around 40 million euros for each film, a rare level of investment for domestic cinema that it is now working to recoup. Nathalie Cieutat, Pathé's deputy head of distribution, noted the studio knew "that we were going to bombard people with fascinating historical information which today resonates in a somewhat unsettling way."
Beyond the box office, the films are actively shaping public discourse as France approaches presidential and parliamentary elections next year. The upcoming polls are expected to feature the strongest-ever challenge for power by Marine Le Pen's far-right nationalist party. Against this highly polarised backdrop, de Gaulle's legacy as a unifying figure who helped temper the country's war guilt and found its modern republic has taken on renewed political weight.
Political figures across the ideological spectrum have rushed to associate themselves with the cinematic epic. Right-wing presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, whose party traces its direct roots to de Gaulle, said the film is "fantastic" and reflects "the need for patriotism." Centre-left candidate Raphael Glucksmann also weighed in, telling a recent public event: "I urge you to go see it. Run to watch it. See what freedom costs."
The films premiered at the Cannes film festival, where they stood out against a programme heavy with darker tales of fascism and collaboration. Historian Pierre Manenti argued this tonal contrast matters greatly to audiences, noting that in a period of political, economic and institutional crisis, "it's a film that does you good: you come out of it with a feeling of pride."
The narrative also heavily highlights de Gaulle's awkward and stubborn independence from his British and
