De guerre lasse
1987 Drama / Romance / War
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Credits
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Summary
May, 1942. After her husband, a Jewish surgeon, commits suicide, Alice leaves Nazi-controlled
Austria with Jerôme, a diplomat. Arriving in the Free Zone in German-occupied
France, the couple appeal for help from a childhood friend of Jerôme, Charles Sambrat.
The latter is a shoe manufacture who continues to prosper in spite of the war. Whilst
Charles is preoccupied with Alice, Jerôme resumes his resistance activities, using
Charles’ country home as a temporary shelter for Jewish fugitives. Although
initially reluctant to become involved, Charles insists on accompanying Alice to Paris
when she undertakes a resistance mission for Jerôme...
Review
Roberto Enrico directed this poignant adaptation of a novel by the eminent French writer
Françoise Sagan (best known for her international bestseller “Bonjour tristesse”).
Despite the wartime setting and story strands involving the French Resistance, the film
is essentially a familiar French love triangle, with two male friends ultimately falling
out over the same woman. What makes this film particularly memorable, apart from
the close attention to period detail and some attractive photography, are the full-bodied
performances from the three leads: Nathalie Baye, Christophe Malavoy and Pierre Arditi.
Baye is on particularly fine form with her convincing portrayal of a woman who is both
marked by the horrific death of one man and then torn between two men whom she loves with
equal passion. Exquisitely understated, delicately composed, but with some moments
of raw emotional intensity, De guerre lasse is
one of Robert Enrico’s most engaging films.
© James Travers 2005 Write a review for this film... |
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