Paris brûle-t-il?
1966 Drama / War
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Credits
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Summary
August 1944. The French and American armies are nearing the French capital.
Hitler orders one of his generals to retain control of the city or else destroy it.
After the massacre of some students, Colonel Rol incites the public to turn on the occupying
Nazis. As soon as the allied troops arrive, frenzied battles break out all over
the city...
Review
This monumental epic war film, which offers a graphic portrayal of the 1944 Liberation,
received a luke-warm reception with the public when it was released in 1966. With
an all star-cast featuring some of the biggest names in French and American cinema, and
some impressive battle scenes, the film is weighed down by its own enormity. Despite
the length of the film (almost three hours), the action moves at a dizzying pace and,
with so many characters, it is difficult to follow the plot in any detail.
Also off-putting is having a large part of the film filmed in black and white. One driving reason for this was that the French authorities would not allow the original black, white and red Nazi flags to be flown anywhere in Paris - so black, white and grey flags were used instead. René Clement’s most ambitious film is, for all its lavish budget and impressive spectacle, sadly one of his least satisfying. © James Travers 2000
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