Le Passage du Rhin (1960) - film review

Paris, 1939.  War is about to be declared any day.  Roger works in a bakery and Jean is a reporter for the magazine L’Espoir.  The two men have nothing is common other than the war which is soon to engulf their lives.  Although Jean is engaged to be married, he is determined to fight for freedom and does not hesitate to enlist in the army.  The less idealistic Roger is soon called up to defend his country.  The two men are taken prisoner during hostilities and meet whilst crossing the River Rhine.  They quickly become friends.  By pretending to be farmers, they are sent to a German village to work for a family.  Roger accepts his situation because he is attracted towards Helga, the daughter of the house.  But Jean has no other idea than to escape...
© Willems Henri (Brussels, Belgium)

Ex-lawyer and journalist turned film director André Cayatte started in 1942 with a diverse assortment of classic French films.  From 1950 until 1974, he directed films whose main themes were justice-related (Justice est faite, Nous sommes tous des assassins, Avant le déluge, Le Dossier noir).  He will pursue his rich filmography until 1978 with dramas and socially aware movies (Le Miroir à deux faces, Mourir d’aimer, Les Risques du métier, Le Glaive et la balance, Il n’y a pas de fumée sans feu, Verdict).  His career was honoured with several prizes in France, Venice and Berlin.  In 1960, his 125 minute war drama Le Passage du Rhin won the Golden Lion at the Mostra in Venice and came out in cinemas on the 4th November 1960 in Paris. 

This black and white Franco-German Italian masterpiece has wonderful dialogue and some first class acting, especially from Armenian-born singer/actor Charles Aznavour.  In Tirez sur le pianiste, Aznavour had already showed his amazing natural acting talent.  George Rivière is no less excellent in one of his best roles, a passionate and troubled character.  French actress Nicole Courcel (who worked with Jean Gabin, Lino Ventura and many more) and the almost unknown Cordula Trantow on the German side are both perfectly suited for their roles.  With WWII as the background, we follow the fortunes of two French prisoners in search of freedom, but, across the Rhine, the hard road to liberty does not always show a true face.  Because the film also speaks about war from the German side, it was controversial and was widely condemned, especially by the Nouvelle Vague critics.  In retrospect, we now see that André Cayatte has made a profoundly human and historical fresco.  It is time that the film is re-evaluated as part of the director’s impeccable work.  This must-see film is now available on DVD.

© Willems Henri (Brussels, Belgium) 2012 

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