Villagers in a small town North of France in 1918 believe their homes will be blown up by the Germans and quickly evacuate; Scottish soldier Alan Bates is "volunteered" to infiltrate, and inadvertently lets loose the patients in a lunatic asylum who got left behind. French-Italian co-production is a handsome little fairy tale with wartime satire and child-like whimsy, and director Philippe de Broca wastes no time setting the scene and getting right down to business. His approach is romantically silly and simple, but he's never simple-minded or pretentious. The filmmaker also uses Bates to his best advantage, keeping him running crazily like a patient himself, and he's careful not to overdose on Genevieve Bujold's youthful beauty (she's around just when she's needed). Funny and sweet, the movie was something of a slow-rising cult hit, and was back in theaters after some ten years had passed. **1/2 from ****