Papy fait de la résistance (1983) - film review

In 1940, at the start of Nazi occupation of France, the Bourdelles, a family of musicians, refuse to perform in public until after their country has been liberated.  Three years later, their Paris mansion is requisitioned by German soldiers and they are forced to live in the cellar.  Whilst the General Spontz makes overtures with her daughter, Héléna Bourdelle, an ageing opera singer and her father, Papy, get caught up in resistance activity, including hiding an English soldier from the Germans and attempting to assassinate a member of the German High Command.  Meanwhile the son, Guy-Hubert Bourdelle, is far from being the cowardly hairdresser he pretends.  He is in truth the Germans’ most feared opponent: le super-résistant!

With its all-star cast and impressive production values (including lavish sets and close attention to period detail), Papy fait de la résistance resembles that earlier great French war-time comic classic, La Grande vadrouille (1966).  The similarity might have been even closer since Louis de Funès was originally cast in a leading role in the film, but sadly died before the film went into production (hence the dedication to the great comic actor at the start of the film).

The film was developed from a stage play of the same title written by Jean-Marie Poiré and Martin Lamotte (the latter of whom takes a starring role in the film).  With a huge budget of 30 million French francs (hence the film’s tagline: Le film qui a couté plus cher que le débarquement), the original script was rewritten to include some action stunts and generally create a greater impression of scale.  The film was directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, who is now perhaps best known for his 1993 film, Les Visiteurs .

Popular comic actors such as Christian Clavier, Michel Galabru and Gérard Jugnot were cast in leading roles, with Jacqueline Maillan making a welcome return to cinema in a part that appears tailor-made for her.  Jacques Villeret makes an all-too brief appearance as Hitler’s lovelorn half-brother, whose Julio Iglesias-like love-song provides the film’s most hilarious moment.  As if that were not enought, the film is peppered with numerous cameo appearances by popular French film actors, including Jean-Cluade Brialy, Michel Blanc, Thierry Lhermitte and Josiane Balasko.

Whilst not as well-structured and satisfying as La Grande vadrouille, Papy fait de la résistance still manages to be an enjoyable film, mainly on the strength of the larger-than-life comic performances.  Lacking a coherent narrative, the film is probably best viewed as a series of comic sketches.

When it was first released in 1983, Papy fait de la résistance was berated by the critics and even condemned for its heretical portrayal of the French Resistance. Jean-Marie Poiré’s response was that the film was not a comedy about the Resistance, but rather a parody of the war film genre.  Although the film has since become a comic classic in France, it was not a huge commercial success, partly because it was released at the same time as Le Marginal , a big-budget detective thriller starring iconic actor Jean-Paul Belmondo.

© James Travers 2002

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