:
Jacques Gamblin,
Denis Podalydès,
Christian Berkel,
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:
Bertrand Tavernier
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: Koch Lorber Films
: Drama, Foreign, France
: 163 min.
: French
: English
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During the Nazi occupation of France during World War II, the nation's movie studios continued to operate; some filmmakers and technicians simply went along with what their new leaders demanded in hopes keeping themselves and their families safe, while others sought to subvert the messages of their captors through their work. Safe Conduct, directed by Bertrand Tavernier, is a fact-based period drama which examines two men working for a Parisian film company during 1942 and 1943, as well as their friends, family, and loved ones. Jean Devaivre (played by Jacques Gamblin) is an assistant director for Continental Pictures, a studio which has recently been taken over by the Germans and is headed by Dr. Greven (Christian Berkel), a self-styled aficionado of French filmmaking. With a wife (Marie Desgranges) and a newborn son to support, Devaivre feels he has little choice but to continue with his work, though as he rises from assisting to becoming a full fledged director thanks to the efforts of Maurice Tourneur (Philippe Morier-Genoud), he struggles to work his own views into his pictures as much as he can. Screenwriter Jean Aurenche (Denis Podalydes), a man who lives for wine, women and song (not necessarily in that order), refuses to work for Greven, and as he bounces between his many lovers - actress Suzanne Raymond (Charlotte Kady), no-nonsense streetwalker Olga (Marie Gillain), and soft-hearted Reine (Maria Pitarresi), a struggles to find a way to make a living with his words. Both Devaivre and Aurenche were real-life figures in the French film industry during the occupation, as were many of Safe Conduct's supporting characters; the real life Aurenche went on to write the screenplay for Bertrand Travernier's first feature film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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| Wartime Moviemakers
by talltale
May 19, 2004 - 4:36 PM PDT
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3 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| If you're a fan of films about moviemaking, stick SAFE CONDUCT at the top of your queue. Not only does this French gift beautifully capture the art and process of moviemaking, it takes place during the occupation of France by the Nazis during WWII, so it's chock-a-block with history, daring, humanity, irony, comedy and sadness. The movie begins like a house-afire and never lets up. You'll need a rest almost as much as the terrific leading men Jacques Gamblin (who quadruples as script reader, assistant director, husband/father and resistance fighter) and Denis Podalydes (who plays a notable screenwriter constantly juggling scripts and women). Director/co-writer Bertrand Tavernier has made many wonderful movies; this one is right up there with his best. You may have some trouble sorting out all of the subsidiary characters (there are a LOT of them), but that's what the rewind button is for, and it's worth the trouble. This is also a long movie, but it held my interest every step of the way. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.57)
14 Votes
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