Le Silence De La Mer details
| Format: | U DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Howard Vernon, Nicole Stephane, Jean-Marie Robain |
| Director: | Jean-Pierre Melville |
| Genres: | Drama - General, World Cinema - French |
| Studio: | EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Le Silence De La Mer |
U Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 25 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | Not available for rental |
| Main languages: | French |
| Subtitles: | English |
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Most helpful review
A thoughtful look at occupation
By Projectionista (34 reviews) from Etchingham , 24 Aug 2007[Highly rated reviewer]
Released in 1949 and based on a secretly published WW2 novel by Vercors this film should be regarded in the context of the German occupation of France. (Some might see a connection with the war in Iraq.)
France in 1941: an army officer is billeted on an old man and his niece. They can only offer resistance by refusing to speak to him. He in turn respects their silence and speaks of the cultural greatness of France which he hopes will soften the German attitude to its conquered lands. A grudging mutual respect develops slowly and it is suggested that a closer relationship might develop between the niece and the officer were things different.The rhetorical speeches of the officer are persuasive but a visit to Paris and the ridicule of his fellow officers open his eyes to the truth. He returns a changed man.
This simple premise builds powerfully towards its climax with great skill and the three actors convey the difficulty of their situations in a subtle and convincing way.
The director, JP Melville filmed in the confines of the authors own house. The occasional outdoor scenes contrast with the awkwardness within. Sometimes the warmth of the fire is shared, sometimes the isolation of separate rooms is underlined. The officer changes into civvies and then back to uniform again. The struggle for common ground is a deceit which reality cannot sustain amongst these individually decent people. The final, silent communication between the old man and the officer is through a newspaper headline which each knows the other will respect.
Compared with the same director's 'Armée des Ombres', (Army in the Shadows, 1969) this relates to a more profound humanity, to conscience and the individual. The latter film deals with 'Le Resistance' and deals with the brutality and violence of the underground war. But both are recommended viewing.
Film quality is mostly good with a few signs of wear.- Was this review helpful to you?
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(14)You need a sense of history
By DeathOfNarrativeCinema (156 reviews) from Wallingford , 05 Jun 2011It's slow (even at 83 minutes), old-fashioned and not a great Saturday night film. On the plus side, we could talk about the brilliant use of a ticking clock to thread the film together, or the crushing emotional weight given to the word 'adieu' towards the end of the film. But sometimes you have to look at the context to understand why something is beyond wonderful.
The book this is based on was published during the German occupation of France, in 1942. The film itself - a totally faithful filming of the book - was made just a few years later.
Yet it's all here, already, all the stuff that we think we are so grown up about, 70 years later: a mature understanding that Germans are not bad people; that good people on opposite sides of a war are denied normal human relationships, which is what makes war so evil; that the Nazis, not the Germans, were what was rotten in Germany; that the crime against the Jews was beyond all measure; and that the Germans fell so far because of a decent quality - a determination to do their duty - that was exploited by their criminal leaders.
Stick with it. Think about what you are watching and when it was written and when it was made. And if you do that, it's five stars every time.- Was this review helpful to you?
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An OK film I suppose
By a customer from OXON , 08 Mar 2010In 2010, this film felt a little irrelevant to me but I could empathise with the characters. Not sure it's worth the hype from some reviewers but it's an interesting 'period piece' and worth a look if you're interested in the period.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Le Silence de la Mer
By a customer from London , 23 Feb 2010A disappointing film if you are hoping for a classic Melville Film Noir. It is strictly for the specialist film buff and needs patience and an appetite for film history to understand its value and to enjoy it. The additional critic's commentary is of immense value and, perhaps, worth seeing to start with or half way through if you are considering giving up on it.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Lyrical heroism
By Picaro (68 reviews) from Bangor , 05 Apr 2009Classic, restrained account of French resistance to German occupation. Director's fidelity to the writer, Vercors, is well explained in the 'EXTRAS'.- Was this review helpful to you?
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silence de la mer
By a customer from shrewsbury , 23 Mar 2009Interesting oddity. Definately gives a rather stiff upper lip slant on the french attitude to the german occupation. Strangely enough the most sympathetic character is the german officer . Of its time but worth watching- Was this review helpful to you?
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