The house next door - chronicle of a French town during the war
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The house next door - chronicle of a French town during the war |
| Original title | Le chagrin et la pitié |
| Country of production | France , Switzerland |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 1969 |
| length | 251 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Marcel Ophüls |
| script |
André Harris , Marcel Ophüls |
| production |
Charles-Henri Favrod , André Harris , Alain de Sédouy |
| music |
Maurice Chevalier , Georges Brassens |
| camera |
André Gazut , Jürgen Thieme |
| cut | Claude Vajda |
The house next door - Chronicle of a French town during the war (original title: Le chagrin et la pitié , alternatively suffering and pity ) is a French documentary by Marcel Ophüls . The four-hour black and white film was presented in two parts in 1969.
action
The film is about the resistance and collaboration of the French population and the Vichy regime during the time of the German occupation in World War II . This is illustrated using the example of the city of Clermont-Ferrand with the help of interviews and other, in some cases previously unpublished historical film material.
It's not just about the big events, but above all about everyday life. The film conveys a perspective of collaboration and resistance that was previously taboo. The picture shown of the France of the Vichy regime breaks with the previously cultivated cliché of a united country that fought against the German occupiers. In addition to the courageous deeds of individuals, it becomes clear that everyday cowardice was decisive for a large part of the population.
Resistance fighters, collaborators and members of the militia have their say, but also average citizens who were undecided between the fronts, as well as politicians, including Pierre Mendès France , Georges Bidault and Jacques Duclos . In particular, the descriptions of Christian de la Mazière , a collaborator who even joined the Waffen SS in 1944 , offered a completely new perspective on the occupation period, which many French found shocking.
background
The documentary deals with the coming to terms with collaboration and resistance as well as anti-Semitism in France.
Against this background, the film was seen as a provocation and triggered extensive discussions when it was released in France on April 5, 1971; There were similar problems with the production and publication of the film as with the film " The Ordinary Fascism ". The film, originally financed by ORTV, was only completed with funds from Germany and Switzerland. In France, the film was only shown in 1981, over a decade after its premiere (cinema) on French television ORTF . The French state television ORTF had refused the purchase.
In Germany, the ARD showed a shortened version in 1969. The German premiere of the unabridged version took place in 1972 at the Berlin International Film Festival as part of the 2nd International Forum of Young Cinema.
criticism
The film is widely regarded as a valuable documentary and has received corresponding awards, shown repeatedly at international film festivals and often in cinemas.
Awards
- 1972 : Oscar nomination for Best Documentary
- 1972: BAFTA Award for best foreign television film
- 1973: Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Documentary
- 1972: National Board of Review best foreign film
- 1972: National Society of Film Critics Award nomination for Best Picture (5th fifth place)
- 1973: New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Documentary
See also
literature
- Jean Tulard : Dictionnaire du cinéma. Les réalisateurs . Robert Laffont, Paris 1982, ISBN 2-221-01028-0 .
- Henry Rousso: Pétain et la fin de la collaboration - Sigmaringen 1944 - 1945 . Complexe, Brussels 1984, ISBN 2-870-27138-7 .
Web links
- The house next door - Chronicle of a French city in the war in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- “Collaboration and Resistance in Vichy France” - Detailed article on the film
- "DVD Release" - Detailed review of the film on the occasion. Additional information on the topic and on those affected.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b film and background information
- ↑ Political evaluation of the film (French) ( Memento of the original from August 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
