What Happens in Father & Soldier?
The complete story of Father & Soldier, from the first scene to the last, in 316 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 3 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Set in 1917, the story follows Omar Sy as Bakary Diallo, a Senegalese farmer who lives with his son, Alassane Diong as Thierno. When the French army arrives for forced enlistment, Thierno is captured. In a desperate attempt to protect his son from the brutality of war, Bakary enlists himself with the intention of helping Thierno desert. However, their initial plan fails, and both are deployed to the front lines in eastern France.
While Bakary works tirelessly to find a way to get his son away from the combat zone, Thierno proves himself to be a brave soldier. He is promoted to corporal by Jonas Bloquet as Lieutenant Chambreau, who becomes a mentor to the young man. This creates a tense dynamic where the son becomes the father’s superior officer. While Bakary sees the promotion as a chance for a transfer to the rear, Thierno believes his service will eventually grant him French citizenship.
Bakary eventually plots an escape to Le Havre to secure passage back to Africa. Just as he prepares to leave, he learns that Thierno and Lieutenant Chambreau have been assigned to a near-suicidal mission to seize a German bunker. Although Bakary convinces Thierno to flee with him, Thierno ultimately chooses to return to his unit, unwilling to betray Chambreau’s trust.
Driven by love, Bakary returns to the battlefield in the middle of the night and successfully rescues both Thierno and Chambreau from German captivity. In a final act of loyalty, Chambreau sacrifices his own life to ensure the father and son can escape. However, tragedy strikes as Bakary is mortally wounded by gunfire, forcing a devastated Thierno to leave him behind.
In the aftermath, Thierno is awarded the Croix de Guerre and eventually returns to Senegal alone. The film concludes in 1920, suggesting that Bakary’s remains may have been chosen to represent the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Father & Soldier Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
18 key events in the order they happen, from “Farm life in Senegal” to “The Unknown Soldier”. 9 events name a place, across 5 locations.
- 1
Farm life in Senegal
In 1917, Bakary Diallo lives and works on a farm in Senegal alongside his son Thierno. The two share a close bond forged through their daily labor together. Their quiet life is about to be upended by the war raging far away in Europe.
When:1917 Where:Senegal
- 2
Forced enlistment
The French army arrives to round up young Senegalese men for forced enlistment. Thierno tries to flee to escape conscription, but he is captured by the soldiers. The roundup sets the story's central conflict in motion.
When:1917 Where:Senegal
- 3
Bakary enlists to save his son
Hoping to save Thierno from the horrors of war, Bakary makes the drastic decision to enlist in the French army himself. His plan is to desert alongside his son once they are together in the ranks. The move keeps father and son side by side, but also binds them both to the conflict.
When:1917 Where:Senegal
- 4
Sent to the front lines
Father and son carry out their first attempt to desert together, but the plan fails. As a consequence, both are sent to the front lines in eastern France. Their hope of a quick return home is crushed almost as soon as it formed.
Where:Eastern France
- 5
Thierno proves his courage
While Bakary searches for a way to get Thierno away from the fighting, attempting to secure him a position in the mess hall, Thierno proves himself in battle. During an assault, he distinguishes himself through remarkable courage. The son is drawn deeper into the war even as his father tries to pull him out.
- 6
Promoted above his father
The young Lieutenant Chambreau takes notice of Thierno's bravery and takes him under his wing. He promotes Thierno to corporal, effectively making the son his own father's superior officer. The reversal of the family hierarchy plants new tension between them.
- 7
Father and son clash
Bakary sees Thierno's promotion as a potential opening for both of them to be transferred to the rear. Thierno, however, is eager to prove his bravery and clashes with his father's schemes. He remains convinced that his service will one day earn him French citizenship.
- 8
Planning the escape
Bakary begins planning his desertion in earnest, learning of a possible escape route through Le Havre, where a ship could carry them back to Africa. He quietly gathers the funds needed to pay the smugglers who control the route. The plan offers a fragile hope of returning home.
- 9
The bunker mission
Bakary discovers that Thierno has been assigned, alongside Lieutenant Chambreau, to a small commando unit. Their mission is to seize a German bunker on a nearby hill, a near-suicidal undertaking. Realizing his son's life is at stake, Bakary must act before it is too late.
- 10
Thierno turns back
On the day of the operation, Bakary convinces Thierno to slip away with him toward Le Havre and a ship back to Africa. Along the way, Thierno quietly turns back, unwilling to betray the trust Chambreau has placed in him. The escape attempt collapses not from force, but from conscience.
Where:En route to Le Havre
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- 11
Bakary returns to the front
Rather than flee alone, Bakary returns to the front lines in the middle of the night. By the time he arrives, the assault on the German bunker has already begun. He resolves to cross into enemy lines to find his son.
When:Middle of the night
- 12
Rescue at the bunker
Bakary manages to cross the combat lines and reach the German-held bunker. He rescues Thierno and Chambreau, who had been taken prisoner by the Germans. Thierno escapes the ordeal with an injury to his right arm.
Where:The German bunker
- 13
Chambreau's sacrifice
When Bakary intends to leave with his son, Chambreau holds them both at gunpoint. In the end, the lieutenant allows them to go. To buy them time, he sacrifices himself by holding off as many Germans as he can.
Where:The German bunker
- 14
Bakary falls
As father and son make their way across the battlefield, Bakary is struck by German gunfire. His wounds prove mortal, and he can go no further. Thierno is forced to leave his dying father behind on the battlefield.
- 15
Honors after the battle
Following the battle, Lieutenant Chambreau is posthumously awarded the Legion of Honour, presented by his father, the general. Thierno is awarded the Croix de Guerre with a vermeil star for his actions. France honors its soldiers even as the weight of their sacrifice remains.
- 16
The fate of the deserters
As Thierno and his battalion head back to the rear, they pass the hanging corpses of soldiers who had tried to flee. The men had attempted to reach Le Havre with the help of a smuggler, the same route Bakary had hoped to use. The grim scene shows how close Bakary and Thierno came to sharing that fate.
- 17
Return to Senegal
When the war finally ends, Thierno makes the journey home alone. He arrives in his village in Senegal bearing several war decorations. He returns as a decorated soldier, but without his father by his side.
When:End of World War I (1918) Where:Senegal
- 18
The Unknown Soldier
In 1920, soldiers exhume Bakary's remains from the battlefield to take them to Paris. His body is chosen from among the remains of eight soldiers, and it is implied that he may represent the Unknown Soldier. His remains now rest beneath the Arc de Triomphe.
When:1920 Where:Paris
Quiz
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