Military Music

Thankyou very much for the explanation, Aloysius. On first viewing of the film I had thought that the music in this scene was a little discordant, especially with those "syncopated accents", as you aptly described them. I had thought that more solemn music would have been appropriate and had wondered if the use of that type of music was indicating that the vibrant military marches of the Empire were at odds with the uncharacteristic despair the Old Guard was facing at the abdication. Your explanation of the subtle meaning of the music makes much more sense. Incidentally, I discovered the march used in the film was an authentic period piece after recognising it upon listening to a CD of marches from the Consulate, First Empire and Second Empire periods (Echos de L'Epopee Imperiale, A Tribord,2004) that I had purchased in Paris. The track is simply titled "La Boiteuse" which I believe is the subtitle of a circa 1812 march and, if Google translation is a guide, "La Boiteuse" means "lame", just as "Marche des Eclopes" is, roughly, "marching lame". Thanks again for the information. I also noticed that the film uses "La Victoire est a Nous", a march written by David Buhl which I believe was designed to be played on all fields of battle to boost the morale of the Grande Armee before a fight began in earnest (whereas the British were portrayed in the film using a call and response of "Our Atty" for a similar purpose).