The silence of the sea (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The silence of the sea |
| Original title | Le Silence de la mer |
| Country of production | France |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 1949 |
| length | 86 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Jean-Pierre Melville |
| script | Jean-Pierre Melville |
| production | Jean-Pierre Melville |
| music | Edgar Bischoff |
| camera | Edgar Bischoff |
| cut | Jean-Pierre Melville, Henri Decaë |
| occupation | |
| |
The silence of the sea (Original title: Le silence de la mer ) is a French film from 1949 . Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville . The film is based on the novel of the same name by Jean Marcel Bruller .
action
In 1941 the Wehrmacht officer Werner von Ebrennac was quartered with a French family. Although the officer is a lover of French culture, the elderly gentleman and his niece do not speak to him. When Werner confesses to the family that he has recognized the true goals of German politics and that he has broken down inside, the niece says her only word in the film as she parted , namely adieu .
Production history
Jean-Pierre Melville , who had adopted the name Melville during his time in the Resistance , was determined to make a film of the novella during World War II. But the author, Jean Marcel Bruller , did not believe in a film adaptation and refused to approve. So Melville started his own production company. So he could promise Bruller control of the script, and when that wasn't enough, he promised to submit the finished film to a jury appointed by Bruller, which would decide whether the film could be shown or not. That commitment, of course, put the film at risk, so Melville had to borrow money from friends. That is why The Silence of the Sea was filmed in 35 days in 1947 at minimal cost. Apart from the short film 24 Hours in the Life of a Clown , it was Melville's first film as a director. For Nicole Stéphane in the role of niece, it was the premiere as a film actress.
The jury, which consisted of resistance fighters, finally gave permission for publication with one vote against. The solemn premiere of The Silence of the Sea took place in Paris in early 1949 and impressed audiences, including then French President Vincent Auriol and Jean Cocteau . Bruller, who was not present at the premiere, is said to have said later that "the director defended the work against the author."
In Germany, The Silence of the Sea was shown for the first time on May 7, 1983 in DFF 2 .
criticism
“Melville's extraordinary feature film debut is a multi-layered, intelligent chamber play that emphatically addresses the psychological effects of the 'Republic of Silence' on the individual. The sensitive staging is just as careful with the original as it is with the historical background; The camera work, lighting design and cast are also impressive. "
“Melville does not have the ambition to want to say in picture effects what cannot be expressed better by anything than the word. The camera generally lets you be in a small room. But in her pictures there is really the heavy mood of waiting silence. "
Web links
- The silence of the sea in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Your only word: "Adieu" . In: Der Spiegel . No. 6/1949 , February 5, 1949, pp. 23 ( Online [accessed January 4, 2019]).
- ^ Greg Ferrara: Silence of the Sea (1949). In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved January 4, 2019 .
- ↑ a b The silence of the sea. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed January 4, 2018 .