Julien Hayet-Kerknawi's debut film is a strong, straightforward story about Belgian villagers fighting German troops at the start of the First World War.

The only confusing thing about "The Last Front" is its title. Set at the outbreak of World War I, this fictional tale of invading German forces wreaking havoc in the Belgian countryside depicts only one arena of violence in a conflict that would rage on for four years. Otherwise, Julien Hayet-Kerknawi's feature debut is a solid, compelling drama delivered in a slightly retro manner. Though the director and co-writer has shared that he wanted to "stay away from the traditional black-and-white good guy vs. bad guy trope" with this film, Hayet-Kerknawi has actually made a film so driven by that very moral divide that it recalls the propaganda-heavy entertainments studios churned out during both world wars.

Such narrative dynamics can come across as old-fashioned or crude. But “The Last Front,” which opens in a limited release on Friday from Enigma, is deftly handled, drawing considerable power from the familiar confrontation between besieged civilians, led by Iain Glen’s reluctant farmer leader, and Joe Anderson, as a truly despicable officer in the Kaiser’s army. This English-language production may not be one of the most memorable war films of recent years, but its straightforward, sometimes brutal progression and assured craftsmanship will more than satisfy audiences looking for something more than a simple battle spectacle.

Things begin ominously in August 1914—presumably just days after the declaration of war—with German troops marching through Flanders on what they assume will be an easy conquest of France. One town they pass through is eerily quiet, its residents preferring to greet the invaders by retreating behind closed doors and shuttered windows. But a lone shot rings out, killing a soldier. Never mind that it turns out to have been fired by a panicked local teenager, acting alone; Lt. Laurentz (Anderson) retaliates by raiding houses and executing anyone found there by firing squad, including women and children. This does not sit well with his superior (and father), Commandant Maximilian (Philippe Brenninkmeyer), who arrives too late to stop the carnage.