The Last Battle

1983 1h 30m FR

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 178

Science Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The plot explores the devastation of civilization and issues of brutality, hostility and isolation. Pierre Jolivet stars as the main character (identified only as "The Man" in the end credits) who is menaced by "The Brute" (played by Jean Reno) on his journey through a world filled by people rendered nearly mute by some unknown incident.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Pierre Jolivet
The Man
Jean Bouise
The Doctor
Fritz Wepper
Captain
Jean Reno
The Brute
Christiane Krüger
Captain's Concubine
Maurice Lamy
Dwarf
Pierre Carrive
Captain's Man
Jean-Michel Castanié
Captain's Man

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Luc Besson
Writers: Luc Besson, Pierre Jolivet
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

43 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Luc Besson, shot by Carlo Varini. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Éric Serra. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sophie Schmit shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Pierre Jolivet and Jean Bouise and Fritz Wepper carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0085426 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Luc Besson directs. Carlo Varini behind the camera. Éric Serra scores. Sophie Schmit cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
243 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Luc Besson, shot by Carlo Varini. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Éric Serra. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Sophie Schmit shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Pierre Jolivet and Jean Bouise and Fritz Wepper carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0085426 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Carlo Varini
Original score: Éric Serra
Editing: Sophie Schmit
Production design: Thierry Flamand
Costume design: Marie Beau
Makeup / hair: Maud Baron
Runtime: 90 min · 1h 30m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
IMDB: The Last Battle (1983)

Awards

Sitges Film Festival Best Director award
Sitges Film Festival Best Feature-Length Film award

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Luc Besson

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

deepkino2025-10-08
★ 6/10
A bleak vision of a world after an unexplained collapse, this post-apocalyptic film is rendered in stark black and white and is nearly devoid of dialogue. It portrays humanity returned to a primitive state, where the concept of capitalism has been replaced by a raw, deadly struggle for resources. The survivors pit themselves against one another in a vicious fight where the only goal is to kill the other and take everything they have.

Production companies