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General Review:
As you can probably tell from the list of awards, this is a highly acclaimed film, and rightly so. It does an excellent job of handling the full range of French reactions to the German invasion, from those that are eager to cooperate to get ahead, to those who smile but silently disdain the Germans, to those who actively and visibly refuse consent. This is a true art house film in that it is more about atmosphere and character than about a plotline. But the story and characters are believable and moving. Deneuve is coolly enigmatic as Marion Steiner, a woman who is not easily labeled. She cares for her husband in the basement and is willing to physically restrain him to save his life, yet we feel the tension of the situation and his position of weakness degrade her love for him. She falls for Granger even though he's clearly after every woman. She struggles with her natural coldness and unsociability to maintain a position of unwanted leadership in the troupe. The rest of the cast is equally strong, including the Germans. The anti-Semitism the film addresses is handled bluntly and realistically yet without an overdone political or sentimental message. An elegant film.
Depardieu Review:
This is a classic Depardieu role. He's exquisitely young here and very magnetic. His Bernard Granger is a loose canon -- blunt and honest, wearing his appetites on his sleeve. He cannot resist chasing women and he can't smile politely to the Germans, not even when it's wise to do so. There's an interesting scene where an anti-Semitic film critic visits the theater and Granger does a back-stepping little dance to avoid shaking hands with him. Later he accosts this same critic in a physical rage. This is an interesting piece because he plays an actor just beginning his career and you can see -- through the other character's eyes -- what made him so unique and charismatic.
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