Le Petit Soldat

Set in 1958 during the Algerian War, Le Petit Soldat follows Bruno Forestier, a French photographer living in Geneva. He has deserted the army and has no strong political beliefs, yet he is tied to a right-wing group that opposes Algerian independence. The group's leader, a Poujadist deputy, orders Bruno to kill a Swiss radio journalist who supports the Algerian cause. Bruno's situation grows more complicated when he becomes involved with Veronica, a young woman who is starting out as an actress. The film was directed by Jean-Luc Godard, who also wrote the screenplay, and was produced by Georges de Beauregard. It stars Michel Subor as Bruno and Anna Karina as Veronica, with Henri-Jacques Huet, Paul Beauvais, László Szabó and Beauvais again in a small uncredited role.

This was the second of Godard's feature films, made after Breathless, and the first of his films to star Anna Karina. It was shot in 1960, but censorship delayed its release until January 1963. Among Godard's features, it is the sixth in chronological order, preceded by Contempt and followed by Band of Outsiders. The film runs 87 minutes and blends drama with romance. French production companies SNC and Les Productions Georges de Beauregard were behind it. On TMDB it holds a rating of 6.9 out of 10, based on 187 votes.