Overview
A satirical journey through the absurdities of modern labor and the quest for freedom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- buoyant
- classic cinema night
- political film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly regard René Clair’s inventive French musical comedy as a highly accomplished and influential work of social satire.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The factory's highly automated operation reduces its workers to mere automatons on an assembly line.
Escaped ex-convicts Émile and Louis remain linked as one rises into factory ownership and the other threatens to expose him.
The mechanized factory operation and assembly-line labor provide the film's defining coordinated movement and imagery.
The factory owner gives the enterprise to the workers before fleeing into a freer life on the road.
Films like À Nous la Liberté, and why
Modern Times
shared musical comedy, anti-industrial satire, and humane working-class humor
The Milky Way
shared surreal comic invention, class critique, and elegant prewar European style
The Golden Age
shared French musical comedy, social observation, and playful political irreverence
Movie Details
- Director
- René Clair
- Release Date
- 1931-12-18
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (122)
Cast
- Henri Marchand
- Raymond Cordy
- Rolla France
- Paul Ollivier
- Jacques Shelly
- Germaine Aussey
- Léon Lorin
- Vincent Hyspa
- André Michaud
- Maximilienne
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, France Channel Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is À Nous la Liberté about?
- René Clair’s buoyant musical satire turns an escaped convict’s rise as a factory magnate into a witty revolt against mechanized labor and social conformity.
- What is À Nous la Liberté like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of À Nous la Liberté as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is À Nous la Liberté violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in À Nous la Liberté as mild.
- What did critics think of À Nous la Liberté?
- Critics broadly regard René Clair’s inventive French musical comedy as a highly accomplished and influential work of social satire.
- Which films are like À Nous la Liberté?
- Films with a similar feel include Modern Times, The Milky Way, and The Golden Age.
- How long is À Nous la Liberté?
- À Nous la Liberté runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch À Nous la Liberté?
- In United States, À Nous la Liberté streams on IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, France Channel Amazon Channel.
