Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Set in 1917, Le Matelot 512 unfolds within the rigid hierarchy of the French Navy. The film follows Max, a young sailor identified only by his service number, emphasizing the loss of individual identity in military institutions. Stationed at a naval base, he lives under strict discipline and routine. After a minor, ambiguous incident, he is accused of desertion and insubordination and placed under arrest. Rather than a dramatic trial, the film depicts a slow, impersonal process of interrogations, confinement, and bureaucratic inertia. As time passes, the sailor emerges as a scapegoat, sacrificed to uphold authority during wartime. Isolated and forgotten, he endures waiting as a form of punishment, revealing the quiet violence of institutional justice.
Loading. Please wait...




