THE LAST METRO

France, 1981, 125 minutes, Colour.
Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Heinz Bennent, Jean Poiret, Andrea Ferreol, Sabine Haudepin.
Directed by Francois Truffaut.

The Last Metro is Francois Truffaut taking up a popular '70s theme: memories of Nazis and World War Two. However, with typical gentle touch, Truffaut highlights the oppression of the times, danger, fears - but makes them for a wide audience. He does not shock or jolt. Using a theatre story (enabling him to counterpoint the plot with that of the play being rehearsed), he offers a story of wife devoted to her hiding Jewish husband and her infatuation with the leading man. Heinz Benent is expressive as the husband, Catherine Deneuve beautiful and quite persuasive as the wife, Gerard Depardieu the actor. The excellent supporting cast and Truffaut's feeling help us experience this world. Truffaut worked with Catherine Deneuve in The Mississippi Mermaid in 1969. This film, nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film, follows his sombre preoccupation with death in The Green Room and his very frothy chapter in Antoine Doinel's life, Love On The Run.

1. An entertaining and interesting film? Its place within the work of Francois Truffaut? His love for cinema? For theatre? French background, the war, Resistance? The blending of the romance and the thriller? The contrived world Truffaut creates as an image of the real world? Interest in human beings, crises, relationships? Truffaut as a man of soft feeling?

2. The title, the opening? The commentary on World War Two? France, the Occupation, Nazis, the war, survival? The theatre and its treatment by the Nazis - as a symbol for the treatment of the French and especially the Parisians?

3. Truffaut exploring the nature of theatre and its contrivance, wisdom, entertainment? The importance of the crafting of a play and testing it? The dramatic impact of theatrical presence and the play? Impact on the audience and their being caught up into the world of the play? As a means for dramatisation, exploration, message - and propaganda during the war? The relationship of the theatre to life? The theatre and its outside seeming like a theatre set? The effect of this deliberate theatricality? At the end with Marion and Bernard and their love - and its being part of a performance? Themes of reality and fantasy? The artificial world testing what is real? Theatre and the dramatisation of insight? The symbol of performance, freedom? The role of the censor? The world of actors and its artificiality? The importance of the director and his control? The critic as constructive or as parasite? The destructive critic? The play echoing reality? A film for lovers of theatre?

4. The importance of memories of France, the Occupation, the oppression of the Nazis? The symbolism of flags, soldiers, uniforms? The Nazi headquarters? The background of fraternising? Collaboration? The critic and the scurrilous paper? The anti-Semitic attitudes? The right restaurants, the right theatres etc.? The Resistance, the hiding of the Jews? The ending and the shooting? The end of the film in the post-war era? The film as a tribute to French Occupation and Resistance? The French spirit?

5. The focus on Bernard: an aspect of France, the strong man, the secret Resistance member? As an actor, his reputation, in the Grand Guignol? Moving to the Theatre Montmartre? His skill as an actor? His self-importance, flirt? The encounter with Marion - initial antagonism? The interview? Employment? The background of his work for the Resistance? The sequence in the church, the arrest and his leaving? His becoming involved in the theatre troupe? The play and his acting - and the relationship to his interacting with Marian and the cast? His disdain for Marion yet love for her? His admiration for her husband? The sequences in the restaurant? The encounters with Daxiat? Bernard's clash, fighting? His having to leave the theatre? The discovery of the truth about Lucas? The farewell? The loving relationship, sexual relationship and consummation? The war, the injury - and the final sequence as a play? Reality and appearance? The three getting their tribute from the audience? An interesting character? The popularity of Gerard Depardieu? A type?

6. Catherine Deneuve's presence and beauty as Marion? Marion as the focus of the film? The audience first seeing her and her concern, her making decisions, the hard woman of the theatre and the question of employing an actor or not? The discovery of her covering for her husband? Her skill in concealing her husband? Her relationship with Lucas? Care, meals, talk, the manuscripts, rehearsals? Her having to cope? Daxiat and his insinuations? criticisms? Jean Loup and his fulfilling the directions of Lucas? His tantrums? The various members of the cast - Nadine and her many jobs, collaboration? Arlette and her work, her infatuation? The antagonism with Bernard? Their working together, love-hate relationship? Her social life, restaurants etc.? The man in the hotel with his manuscript?

7. Lucas and his skill, repute as a director? Jewish background and his seeming to have left the country? His being concealed? His directing from underground, listening to the play through the holes? His plans? The claustrophobic effect of his confinement? Meals, relationship with his wife? Depression and despair? Hopes, agitation, the first night, his reaction, wanting to build up to the new play? The importance of the cellar inspection and Bernard's helping him to hide from the Nazis? His being betrayed by Bernard and Bernard's leaving? His emerging to a new world?

8. Jean- Loup and his role in the group, his direction, acting, friendship, homosexuality? His being accommodating to Daxiat? The controversy? The humour of his arrests?

9. Nadine and her ambitions, her acting. flirting with the Nazis, her film roles, her wealth and self-seeking? The sketch of the glamorous collaborator?

10. Arlette and her work, her ignoring Bernard? Her skill in her work? The growing infatuation with Marion? Her despising of Nadine?

11. Martine and Raymond, survey. stealing. the Germans? Raymond and help?

12. The portrait of the collaborator in Daxiat? His scurrilous paper, anti-Semitic stances? His power? Speeches and threats? His currying favour? His arrival in the theatre and his disturbance? Review? The restaurant sequences? The confrontation and Bernard's attacking him?

13. The presence of the Germans in Paris. in the streets, the restaurants, the theatres? The headquarters? The Lieutenant and his approach and the quiet violence of his attack on Marion?

14. The importance of the play: The Disappearance? The play echoing reality? The continued rehearsals - and the audience getting to know the play, experiencing the production and its difficulties? Themes of love and pain, sorrow? Theatre in Paris life: the importance of the cabaret sequences and the songs? Church, choir and the Germans intruding in the church?

15. The build-up to Liberation and its effect on each of the characters?

16. Truffaut's stylised and artificial microcosm of Paris, of France, of Occupied France? A dramatic way of arresting audience attention. entertaining and communicating a message?