Set in World War II Romania, “A Farewell To Fools,” tells the story of a French veteran of World War I, injured and left behind there by the French Army. He is discovered by a clergyman who brings him to his village. Ipu recovers, but has but fleeting memories of his past. He is befriended by a boy, Alex, and together they play at war, during which bits and pieces of memory are experienced by Ipu. Alex, too, but through his imagination, has reveries of a soldier's experiences.

The Nazis occupy the village where the two live, and one day, while out patrolling on his motorcycle (with sidecar), a German soldier, seeing Alex at play in a field, stops. He asks Alex if he would like to drive it. The boy enthusiastically says yes. When Alex returns from his ride, the soldier lays dead on the ground. Alex takes the Nazi's gun and runs home to the village to use while playing at war with the Frenchman Theodore (Gérard Depardieu), known as Ipu by the villagers.

Alex tells the town elders about the German soldier, the police chief thinks he is making it up, but sends a few men with the boy back to the site. The chief is horrified to see Alex and his officers have brought the corpse back with them. A clergyman, Father Johanis (Harvey Keitel), believes the boy killed the soldier and tries to get the boy to confess. The boy insists he did not kill the German soldier.

The villagers cannot bring him back to the field; the body must be brought to the Nazi headquarters. The Germans naturally demand to know who killed him. Father Johanis tells them they do not know. He was found dead. The German troop leader does not believe them. He tells the Father, and those who traveled with him, the villagers have until 5 a.m. the next morning to for the guilty party to come forward. If they do not, then 10 of the village's most important authorities, mayor, clergyman, chief of police, notary, etc. will be executed.

Ten chairs are lined up on the street by the Germans to emphasize the point.

The Romanian authorities gather with their wives to discuss the life-threatening dilemma. None of them wants to die, and they assume their families will be executed with them.

Upon returning back to the village, the mayor, police chief, doctor, notary and others meet with Father Johanis to figure out what to do. One of them mutters, “Ipu would have been perfect.” But, they know it could not have been him, because he was cutting wood for one for one of the villagers. Still, one by one, they decide Ipu still is the perfect choice; and the lengths the village leaders are willing to go to get Ipu to agree to die in the stead of the actual guilty party are great.

They decide to hold a “birthday” party for him and ply him with food and drink. After all, reasons Father Johanis, they saved his life once, now he can save theirs.

Is Ipu's life really less valuable than theirs? Do they feel remorse, or are they too desperate to care? Does Ipu agree — and under what conditions? Will the town be “fooled by the fool”?

The film is based on the novel, “The Death of Ipu,” by Romanian novelist Titus Popvici and was made into a film before in the early 1970s.

Some of the best, and most certainly touching scenes in the film, are between Ipu and Alex. Playing at war, playing Ipu's recording of the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” during which Ipu goes into soldier's salute posture. Alex learns about war, patriotism and imagination through his older friend. They fish together, walk and talk and develop a deep friendship. The fantasy bits each imagines when they are “at play” are well done.

With the exception of Keitel and Depardeau, the cast is Romanian with young Bogdan Iancu as Alex and Laura Morante as Alex's mother.

“A Farewell to Fools,” is a serio-comic study of human nature that will make for some good post-film conversation.

The film screens at the Harbor Theatre on Wednesday, March 12 and Thursday, March 13 at 7 p.m.

For more information, call the movie phone at 207-633-0438. The Harbor Theatre is located at the junction of Routes 27 and 96 in Boothbay Harbor, in the shopping mall across from Hannaford's market.