De Gaulle returns to unite the French -- at the cinema

A two-part biopic of French leader Charles de Gaulle has become a summer cinema hit in his homeland, delivering a strong dose of patriotism through one of the rare figures to unite the country.

The twin blockbusters from diplomat-turned-director Antonin Baudry focus on de Gaulle's dogged and often lonely fight to resist the Nazi occupation of France, as well as his manoeuvring to be recognised as the nation's leader-in-exile by the Allies.

The tale of bravery in adversity and victory against the odds delivers an emotional lift for a fractious nation that celebrates de Gaulle as a political giant who helped temper France's war guilt and birth its modern republic.

"In a time of political, economic, and institutional crises, it's a film that does you good: you come out of it with a feeling of pride," said historian Pierre Manenti, a specialist on de Gaulle.

The first part of the epic 160-minute films premiered at the Cannes film festival this year where it contrasted with the darker tone of several other war-time dramas about fascism.

Ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections next year, when the far-right nationalist party of Marine Le Pen is expected to mount its strongest-ever challenge for power, some observers wondered if the fascism-heavy programme was a deliberate choice.

Cannes best screenplay winner "A Man of His Time" examined the moral failings of an ambitious bureaucrat who works in France's Nazi collaborationist government, while "Moulin" told the gruesome last days of captured Resistance hero Jean Moulin.

Nathalie Cieutat, deputy head of distribution at producer Pathe which financed the de Gaulle films, told AFP that the studio knew "that we were going to bombard people with fascinating historical information which today resonates in a somewhat unsettling way."

De Gaulle's story touches many patriotic chords in France, above all his unwavering love for and pride in his homeland.

The films also capture his awkward, stubborn and calculating approach to his British and American patrons, with his willingness to stand up to "les anglosaxons" helping define post-war French foreign policy.

"No doubt the general public has been surprised by what de Gaulle thought of France, but above all of himself, even though he is isolated in his beliefs and his struggle," historian and filmmaker Christian Delage explained.

French right-wing presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, whose party traces its roots back to de Gaulle, called the film "fantastic" in a recent TV interview, saying its success reflected "the need for patriotism."

After a slow start at the box office in early June, the movies have sold more than three million tickets, making them one of the biggest French-made hits of the year.

That will help Pathe recoup some of the budget: reportedly around 40 million euros for each film, rare levels for a French production.

"I urge you to go see it," another French presidential candidate, centre-left politican Raphael Glucksmann, said at a recent public event. "Run to watch it. See what freedom costs."