Sometimes when watching a new film from France I get the idea that the directors and scriptwriters are all influenced by one another. The same scenes and plot devices are popping up: a farm in trouble because the owner had died or is away in World War I; women—a widow or daughter—pitch in, take charge; a daughter loves a soldier; a crisis develops when the crops—wheat or grapes—must be harvested; U.S. soldiers on leave cause trouble; years pass—we know because it snows; God is worshipped, sometimes, but why didn’t he answer the prayers? Somehow the farm must change, adapt to the new economy. Who will marry whom—if anyone?

Xavier Beauvois’s film is based on a novel by Ernest Perochon, with a lot of its misery, disease and death left out.

Xavier Beauvois’s “The Guardians” is based on a novel by Ernest Perochon, with a lot of its misery, disease and death left out and its many children reduced to a few. A few classic actors carry the thematic load, and the 23-year-old Iris Bry plays Francine, who is hired to do the farm work of a son who has just died in the war. But the central character is the old farm itself, a collection of buildings unchanged since 1914. The sun lingers over it as the world goes by, and the deep brown tones of the walls reflect the internal battles in the souls who live there.

The heroes are the women. The mother, Hortense (Nathalie Baye), is in charge. Her daughter is Solange (Laura Smet). A son, Constant (Nicolas Giraud), is killed in battle. Another son, George (Cyril Descours), is the romantic lead. The Angel of Death, who appears twice, is an old man in a black suit with a white beard. Suddenly, he is here! Without a word he approaches the character most wounded and embraces him or her as tears flow.

The central character is the old farm itself, a collection of buildings unchanged since 1914.

Francine is an orphan: no family, no home, but she is a skillful housekeeper and has worked her way into the permanent embrace of the family. Her first act is to nail a crucifix to her wall. The film’s religious atmosphere is strong and realistic. And the hymns at the memorial services (often corpses are not returned home) signify a valid faith. She and George have been exchanging letters and taking long walks in the woods, where he shows her his favorite beautiful spot. Soon, back in her bedroom, they have sex. Indeed the sexual tension has tightened since groups of U.S. soldiers have been stopping by to help with the harvest.

George has been enduring horrible dreams. He mans a machine gun as Germans wearing gas masks attack. They pour out of the woods a few yards in front of him, and he mows every one down. The German dead pile up, but one last survivor attacks George, and they wrestle to the death as George stabs him again and again. George pulls off the German’s gas mask and glares at his face. The dead German’s face is George. George has been killing himself.

The plot goes into reverse as Hortense calls Francine in, accuses her unjustly of having sexual relations with the Americans and sends her away. She finds another nice home but discovers she is pregnant. 1918, 1919 and 1920 pass. The farm has prospered because they bought a tractor that does the work of a dozen men and women. We see George walking through a bustling city street, and then he hears a voice singing in a cafe. We are not told what happens next.

Son of Raymond A. Schroth, of Trenton, N. J., a World War I hero and editorial writer and reporter for the Trenton Times, Brooklyn Eagle and New York Herald Tribune for over 40 years, and of Mildred (Murphy) Schroth, of Bordentown, N. J., a teacher in the Trenton public and Catholic school systems, Raymond A. Schroth, S.J., has spent his life as a Jesuit, journalist, and teacher.

After graduating from Fordham College in 1955--where he majored in American civilization, studied in Paris, and was editorial editor of the Fordham Ram--he served as an antiaircraft artillery officer in Germany for two years and joined the Society of Jesus in 1957. Ordained a priest in 1967, he obtained his PhD in American Thought and Culture at the George Washington University and taught journalism at Fordham until 1979. During that time he was also associate and book editor of Commonweal magazine.

After two years as academic dean of Rockhurst College in Kansas City, he became academic dean of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. In 1985-86 he held the Will and Ariel Durant Chair in the Humanities at Saint Peter's College in Jersey City. From 1986 to 1996 he taught journalism at Loyola University in New Orleans and was adviser to the Maroon, its award-winning newspaper. In 1995 the Southeast Journalism Conference named him Journalism Educator of the year. In 1996 he returned to Fordham as assistant dean of Fordham College Rose Hill and director of the Matteo Ricci Society, which prepares students to compete for prestigious fellowships. Meanwhile, from 1967 he served as a resident faculty member in the student residence halls.

He has published eight books, including: The Eagle and Brooklyn: A Community Newspaper (Greenwood); Books for Believers: 35 Books Every Catholic Should Read (Paulist); with Jeff Theilman, Volunteer: with the Poor in Peru (Paulist); and The American Journey of Eric Sevareid (Steerforth), a biography of the CBS commentator.

In 1999 he moved to Saint Peter's College, where he wrote two books: From Dante to Dead Man Walking: One Person's Journey through Great Religious Literature and Fordham: A History and Memoir, (Loyola Press in 2001-2002). In 2000 Saint Peter's College named him the Jesuit Community Professor in the Humanities. In Spring 2003 he was made editor of the national Jesuit university review, Conversations and will continue to serve in this position until 2013. His The American Jesuits: A History, (New York University Press, 2007), was followed by Bob Drinan: The Controversial Life of the First Catholic Priest Elected to Congress, (Fordham University Press, 2010). He taught a graduate journalism course at NYU in 2004 and journalism history at Brooklyn College in 2006.

In recent summers he has traveled to Gabon, South Africa, Peru, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, France, Thailand, Vietnam, Cuba, Indonesia, the Czech Republic, and China to educate himself, write articles, and take pictures. In 2003 his National Catholic Reporter media essays won the Catholic Press Association's best cultural columnist award. His over 300 articles on politics, religion, the media, and literature have appeared in many publications, including the Columbia Journalism Review, Commonweal, America, the New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, New York Newsday, Kansas City Star, Boston Globe and the Newark Star Ledger, where he was a weekly online columnist for several years. From time to time he lectures and appears on radio and TV. He is listed in Who's Who and Contemporary Authors. In his free time he swims, bikes, walks, reads, goes to movies and restaurants, and prays.