Film Review
This engaging wartime comedy-drama from director Raymond Bernard features two of the most
well-known actors of the 1930s: Charpin and Saturnin Fabre. Although they are virtually
forgotten today, these two immensely talented character actors had distinguished film
careers, each bringing great depth and intelligence to their characterisation. One
of the pleasures of
Les Otages is that it provides
an opportunity to see these two great actors at the height of their powers in a film that
does each of them great justice. The film is also well-served by it supporting cast,
which includes many talented actors of the period, such as Pierre Larquey, Annie Vernay
and Noël Roquevert.
Les Otages is in many ways a strange
film. It was made in 1938, when fears of another Europe-wide conflict were rife
and France was feeling threatened by its fascist neighbours. This would appear to
be an odd time for a director to make a film about the First World War, and even stranger
that it would contain strong comic elements. The uncertainty of the time in which
the film was made is reflected in its schizoid nature: intensely gloomy sequences, filmed
in moody film noir fashion, are balanced by odd moments of near-slapstick comedy.
Whilst not obviously an anti-war film, it conveys some powerful anti-war sentiment, which
is marvellously encapsulated in the final scene in which the two rivals, Beaumont and
Rossignol, finally bury the hatchet. This is almost an invitation for the two sides
in the impending war to resolve their differences peacefully, rather than risk destroying
an entire continent. Needless to say, events had progressed too far by the time
the film was released in 1939 and war was inevitable.
Not surprisingly, the film
suffered badly because of the outbreak of war in 1939. Several cuts were made to
the film, reducing its runtime by around twenty minutes. Having been all but forgotten
for many years, the film has recently been restored to its original form from two badly
edited versions.
Thanks to its rich characterisation and almost neo-realist photography,
Les Otages is a compelling work which says so
much about the period in which it was made, and also a great deal about human nature.
It shows the importance of the family, the need for small communities to stay together
in a time of crisis, the futility of petty differences. It also shows the
fear and self-doubt that accompanies well-meaning acts of heroism. The best example
of the latter is the hilarious but rather touching sequence in which the five hostages
take their turn to nip behind a haystack to relieve their bladder as they walk across
the countryside to their doom. This scene caused great offence in 1939 as it was
interpreted as an affront to patriotism. A sad state of affairs indeed when showing
one's fear implies you are unpatriotic, as if courage and fearlessness were the
same thing.
Another curious thing about this film is the way in which the German
soldiers are portrayed. If this film had been made straight after World War II,
it is probable that the Germans would have be portrayed as nasty trigger-happy psychopaths
who take a sadistic pleasure out of murdering innocents. In
Les
Otages, the German officers have a self-restraint and nobility that prevents them
from being seen as monsters. Certainly their threat is very real: you do no doubt
for an instant that unless they get what they want they will raise the town to the ground.
Yet, despite this, the film does not goad us into hating the German enemy. Indeed,
the only person who is killed in this film is a German soldier; not one of the townspeople
suffers so much as a gentle slap on the wrists from the German invaders. It seems
unreal that the French would make a wartime film without demonising the Germans but, just
as in Jean Renoir's
La Grande illusion (1937), the film paints
a surprisingly moderate picture of German aggression. Could it be that the
Second World War, with its very visible demonstrations of Nazi barbarity, altered our
perception of the First World War, to the extent that we now perceive all German soldiers,
in whatever conflict, as mindless killing machines?
In addition to being a valuable
record of its time,
Les Otages is also a compelling
piece of drama, in which moments of tension are eased by some carefully judged use of
comedy. The film shows the necessity for courage in troubled times but it also conveys
the fear and anxiety which accompanies personal acts of bravery -
true
heroism. The subplot of the rivalry between the mayor and the proud châtelain
provides an effective allegory within the wartime setting, ending on a note of optimism.
Perhaps, one day, humanity will learn that conflict leads to nothing but senseless destruction.
Or maybe it is a cry of despair: even when we know this is the case, we carry on making
the same mistake - fighting and destroying, until, finally, there is nothing left
to fight over.
© James Travers 2004
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Next Raymond Bernard film:
Cavalcade d'amour (1940)