What
were living conditions like in France during World War II?
Safe Conduct (Laissez-Passer),
directed by Bertrand Tavernier provides a 170-minute window
into that era through the eyes of a film company; incidents
in the movie are based on actual events from 1942-1944 and
are based on the book by the famous novelist Jean Devaivre.
In the film Devaivre (played by Jacques Gamblin) is an assistant
director and screenwriter whose wife, child, girlfriend, brother,
nephew, business associates, and resistance friends suffer
from the German Nazi occupation in almost every conceivable
way. Several incidents stand out. A twenty-year-old picks
up two propaganda leaflets in the dark and is never heard
from again. A busload of Jews is whisked out of town. Police
confrontations and interrogations are no picnic. Collaborationists
prey on women for sex. Changes have to be made in the dialog
to satisfy censors. When the Communist Party line changes
from the united front policy to armed resistance, a longtime
member resists the change and is expelled. Even the British
are skeptical of a military file purloined by the protagonist.
One form of revenge is to write period stories with lines
that cleverly critique the onerous occupation, another is
to place restaurants in the center of his stories so that
there will be food for the starving cast. Perhaps the most
profound aspect of the film is the depiction of how false
premonitions and subtle happenings terrify those under the
occupation. Many French filmviewers will have goosebumps while
viewing Safe Conduct, and many Americans will gain new respect
for the resilience of the French in seeking to preserve their
culture against great odds. MH
I
want to comment on this film
