War of the Buttons

I've really liked that movie because in it I could find many relations with the everyday life. One of them is that humans need to show to the others their capacity of dominate a group of people, a territory and the capacity of conquer more of those. Another important thing that I could notice in the movie was the necessity of revenge of humans. just like in the movie, we have to pay back the bad things that other people have made us; and sometimes that's not enough, sometimes we need that the revenge must be worse because that give us a sensation of superiority. Finally, I was completely amazed with the leaders of both groups because in spite of all the events I could see that there was something special between them, something that they wanted to express but they couldn't due to the circumstances. That happens with us every day, we don't do what we really want because we are always doing what the rest of the people do. In the end, it is a great movie; and if you want to find a deeper meaning, you must go further the images and the dialogs.

This story is about a growing rivalry between young boys in two neighboring Irish small towns. It shows us all the experiences that those kids lived during their "war". It is an entertaining story about love, family, forgiveness, courage and friendship. I really liked the movie because it has many relations with the real life. I think the film criticize the human conflicts and the violence that exist in the world. I liked a sentence in a conversation between Fergus and Geronimo: "Why are we fighting? Nothing, Why else?". I think that in these words there is a very important message for people, and it is that many times humans fight without reason. The youthful actors were comic, fantastic, joyful, touching, and totally convincing in their roles. All the actors did a perfect job. I especially liked Geronimo and Fergus, the two leaders. In addition, the picture's location is stunning, Ireland is beautiful! Two scenes in particular were memorable: The "rain" of buttons and when the kids stopping the war to care for the little rabbit. I liked so much the end and I'd like that all wars ending that way. I had a great time with this wonderful film. I really recommend you. It is very cute. In this film you will go through hatred, love, laughter, sadness, happiness and lots of other emotions! In conclusion this movie is a beautiful story with vibrant characters, very special moments and a valuable lesson for life.

Tag line:Why are we fighting? Nothing, Why else? I think the film is very interesting because it talks about the adolescents' life, which is a very complicated issue. The film shows how the adolescents can be very creative and risky in order to reach their goals and likes. Nevertheless these goals are not commonly related to their personal growing. These are often related to their need to figure between other ones. The stage of the film is very appropriate, because it develops on a power and honor's fight between two groups. The ambition is so much that they are involved easily in a war without end, but the most interesting part is when the groups' leaders don't realize why are they fighting. Which reveals the natural behavior of the adolescents (They do whatever, but don't measure the consequences). By Julián Valencia

I think that the movie is pretty good, because this entertains and too tells a short story that it is very impressive and strange if you don't put attention and for this reason mahy people don't understand the movie. My opinion about the movie don't only it is limited to the excellent argument but also what I understood about this. The movie show us like two group of children have a war and when a band lose a battles ( not the war), someone of the warriors lose his buttons. I wanna speak about the conviction that all boys put in the battles and the group's work. I believe that this conviction is the necessary for to make many things and these boy demonstrate us when they made their general quarter. In this movie we can also see the personal interest of some people like the child that he is fired of the group because he was sluggish and he wanted the buttons single for his, and like he destroyed the general quarter for his expulsion. Thus, I think that many people react when they are threatened although they don't nothing for nobody. In conclusion I like the movie I recommend and my vote is ten points.

This movie is amazing! It is a great family film. This scenic movie is also a breathtaking look at Ireland. The movie is about two groups of boys, both from different rival towns in Ireland, Ballydowse and Carrickdowse. The boys have battles, and to shame the enemy, they cut off all the buttons on their clothes. To get back at them, the boys from Ballydowse have a cunning plan to get back at the boys from Carrickdowse. They show up at the battle naked! You may either laugh or cry at this movie, but either way I am sure that you will love "The War of the Buttons."

This charming Irish family film has never received the attention it deserves. Based on a French novel of the same name it tells the story of two rival villages and the escalating conflict between their children. Their disputes start small with the typical name calling and idle threats of violence but in a game of oneupmanship it descends into a full blown war where the buttons of their foes become prized possessions. It is a rather slight film made up of a number of subplots. In truth even at 90-minutes it feels rather drawn out yet its spirit and believable casting help push it through to the end. The cast of non-professional child actors acquit themselves well delivering natural and unpretentious performances whilst this likes of Liam Cunningham and Colm Meaney enliven small adult roles. Director, John Roberts, also makes great use of the beautiful rural Irish landscape. Although very much a family film it isn't afraid to show the darker side of life nor the conflict. The leader of the Bally gang is a boy with an unloving home life who finds companionship and purpose in this battle with his rivals but loses sight of everything else around him. Most of the skirmishes involve typical childhood games with slingshots and throwing rotten vegetables but the violence escalates in a believable manner. It could so easily have drifted into syrupy sentimentality but it maintains its restraint and endearing tone. War of the Buttons is a warm, amusing but rough around the edges film about childhood and friendship that has aged remarkably well.

The actors were brilliant and the way they delivered their lines was amazing. A beautiful story with vibrant characters and hidden points,lines delivered and moments in the film that just makes it what it is.Can be sad and heart-wrenching at times but hilarious at others. In this film you will go through hatred, love, laughter, sadness, happiness and lots of other emotions! Afterwards the film you have a real knowledge of how things actually are in Ireland (I'm northern Irish, I just moved to Belgium 4 years ago because of dads job...I'm 14)The truth that it tells is so tragic but true that it really affects you. The young actors and actresses are VERY well chosen for each part and shine through.They put it to you so simply and so 'right to the heart of it getting at the problem that adults can't explain better' way. It is a Definite see with wonderful settings and moving themes and moments.

This is a very fun and light-hearted film that is impossible not to like. Based on a French novel that has also been adapted a couple of times in France, the story is transported to Ireland and concerns the rivalry between the kids from two villages. Carrickdowse and Ballydowse are separated by a bridge, and in the evenings after school, mobs of boys meet in the fields and fight each other with sticks and rocks and set new and ever-changing border lines. The 'war' reaches new levels when a new form of trophy-taking comes into play, whereby the groups capture a member from the opposing village and cut off the buttons from his shirts and rip his clothes. In order to fight this war, the Carrickdowse leader Fergus orders his soldiers to assemble all buttons and threads they can find, so that they aren't punished by their parents if they are captured and then return home without any clothes. "War of the Buttons" is something of a family-classic in Ireland these days. Watching it all these years later I can appreciate the fine cast of actors that the film was able to gather. This was by no means a low-budget movie, it's more along the lines of "The Commitments" in terms of the international investment it received than anything else made in Ireland. It was produced by David Puttnam, who had produced a Best Picture Oscar-winner with "Chariots of Fire" in the 80s, and the screenplay was written by Colin Welland, who also won an Oscar for that one. That was quite a considerable pedigree behind it. Amongst the cast there is Liam Cunningham, who was only really starting out on the screen in 1994, and the always solid Colm Meaney. The young cast all did a great job, too, and the cinematography was spot-on in visually reconstructing an Ireland from the 1960s/70s.

Wonderful, interesting story of a growing rivalry between young boys in two neighboring Irish small towns. This film is supposed to be based on the book, "La Guerre Des Boutons" by Louis Pergaud. The story, casting, acting and locations were perfect. One strong suit is the beautiful scenery filmed on location in Ireland. I really like this film. It seems few people who reviewed it actually watched it as none of the reviews I read even matched the film's content. I would have liked to have seen the one big battle scene played down as it seemed a bit over the top but other than that this was a pure joy to watch.

When I first watched War of the Buttons I feel in love with the movie. The story on how two groups of children, over come their problems is just wonderful. I recommend this movie for the whole family. Sit down and watch it. Don't let a title fool the main point of the story.