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Credits
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Summary
During the Nazi occupation of France, Philippe Gerbier is a chief in the French Resistance.
He is arrested and sent to a prison camp when one of his colleagues betrays him.
Gerbier manages to escape, and the traitor is found and executed. Whilst Gerbier
and other Resistance chiefs are in London, receiving decorations from General de Gaulle,
another key Resistance figure, Felix, is arrested. Returning to France, Gerbier
and his allies plan to rescue Felix – not an easy task since Felix is being held
in a top security prison…
Review
In this film, director Jean-Pierre Melville draws on his own war-time experiences to paint
a vivid and realistic picture of life in the French Resistance during the Second World
War. The film has more of the feel of a documentary than a traditional action movie.
As a result, the central characters have great depth and their heroism lies not in fool-hardy
acts of bravado but in their dogged determination (a) to oppose the Nazi occupiers and
(b) just simply to survive.
Melville’s style fits the film well. Better known for his gangster films, the same sense of a clandestine underworld is entirely appropriate for depicting the activities of the French Resistance. However, unlike in Melville's other films, there is no sense of moral ambiguity. The Nazis are clearly the villains of the piece; the Resistance are the heroes. Even when the Resistance members are having to dispose of their own kind, they are shown in a positive light, clearly tormented by the action they have to take. The central characters are well drawn and would stand up well, even if they were not portrayed by some of France’s great acting talents. Lino Ventura dominates the film as Gerbier, with a performance that is alternately severe and warm, reflecting possibly a character who is naturally warm but who has become cold and severe through his Resistance work. With the incomparable Simone Signoret and Paul Merisse also prominent in his line-up, Melville reinforces a winning hand, and is amply rewarded. This is a film about individuals, about their personal quandaries and agonies during a period of crises. With such a strong cast, Melville could hardly have failed. By avoiding spectacle and concentrating on small, individual acts of heroism, Melville’s portrayal of life in the French Resistance is perhaps one of the most accurate depicted in film to date. Melville’s attention to detail is often quite staggering – whether it be in the emotional responses of characters to their predicament, or in the faultless photography and set design. The whole film has a feeling of genuineness that is pretty rare in films of this genre, and the film is all the better for that. © James Travers 2000 Write a review for this film... |
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