THE STATEMENT
UK/Canada, 2003, 120 minutes, Colour.
Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton, Jeremy Northam, Matt Craven, Alan Bates, John Neville, David de Keyser, Colin Salmon, Malcolm Crawford, Charlotte Rampling.
Directed by Norman Jewison.
The Statement is based on a 1990s novel by Irish born Catholic author who became a Canadian citizen and an agnostic. His novels are compared with those of Graham Greene and are filled with Catholic issues.
This novel is based on actual stories of collaborators with the Nazis in the Vichy regime who executed Jews or sent thousands of them to the concentration camps. After the war, some of these men found their place in the French government, many were sheltered by the Catholic Church, especially in monasteries and by elitist groups who, especially after the Second Vatican Council, disapproved of changes and moved to extreme traditionalist positions or followed Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre into schism.
The film opens with a sequence where a young Pierre Broussard is instrumental in the killing of seven Jews. Filmed in black and white (and recurring in the memories and dreams of the older Broussard), the young actor is dubbed by Michael Caine who portrays Broussard in the 1990s, hiding his identity, finding support in several religious houses, especially by abbots and clergy who were members of a group called the Chevaliers de Marie. The basic outline of the plot (screenplay by Ronald Harwood many of whose films focus on Nazi issues like Taking Sides and his Oscar-winning, The Pianist) is a detective thriller as a Paris judge and an army officer are assigned to find Broussard and he continually moves hiding place. Tilda Swinton is strong as the wilful judge (Catholic mother, Jewish father, now agnostic) as is Jeremy Northam as the soldier. While Broussard had received a pardon from the president, he is now sought by the authorities according to the recent law on crimes against humanity.
Michael Caine is an interesting and effective choice for Broussard, sometimes genial, sometimes cold-blooded, sometimes cringing in his dependence on confession and devotions and his image of himself as a loyal Catholic. From this vantage point, it is alarming to look at the role of many churchmen, especially from contemplative religious orders who took the side of the Nazis to combat Communism during the war and ignored the fate of the Jews.
There is a memorable supporting cast which includes Alan Bates as a French official, John Neville as the evil behind the scenes with his ruthless assistant Ciaran Hinds, Charlotte Rampling as Broussard's wife and Malcolm Sinclair as the Cardinal of Lyons who is trying to be more open about what has taken place in his diocese and in Provence.
Fine performances, interesting issues and an examination of conscience by the Church for the sins of commission and omission by some of its leaders.
1. The novel by Brian Moore, the facts about Nazi collaborators in France and the Vichy government, legislation, crimes against humanity, crimes against Jewish people? Memories of the Nazis and collaboration?
2. The critique of post-war France, former collaborators in government, being protected by the law, by the Catholic church?
3. The 1944 prologue, black and white, the village, the menace of the trucks at dawn, the raid, the taking of the Jews, taking of hostages, their being executed? Broussard and his commanding officer, the photo? The shooting, Broussard finishing the victims off? The device of using Michael Caine's voice for the actor portraying his younger self? These sequences later in flashbacks, memories and dreams, Broussard's conscience?
4. The title, the typing of the document, the official statement, the killers having it to put on Broussard's body, people assuming that it was Jewish retaliation? The irony that it was being used by the French for their own protection and secrecy?
5. Michael Caine as Broussard, his history, in the war as a young man, post-war, his marriage, his charm, seemingly ordinary, the photos, going for a beer at the café, collecting his mail? His being pursued by the assassin, the irony of his being alert and shooting the assassin? Taking his documents, pushing the car over the cliff? Thinking that the assassin was Jewish? His going to the monastery, on the move, his continued sense of guilt?
6. The Catholic themes, Broussard and his right-wing Catholicism, his wife's comments about his love for the priest facing the altar and mumbling in Latin, his elitism, not wanting to kneel next to Africans in church? His belonging to the Chevalier of St Mary? His going to the commissar, his deference towards him? His travelling to go to confession? The Cardinal of Lyon and the lack of protection for criminals like Broussard, yet his being sheltered in many monasteries, being sent money every month? His final visit to the abbey in Nice, the young priest helping him to escape across the roofs? His religion, devotion, patronage of St Christopher, prayers, kneeling on the floor and asking for forgiveness, wanting to be in the state of grace? His being comfortable with the monks and the priests and with the Chevaliers?
7. His interactions with people, secrecy, preservation of normality? His visit to his wife, letting himself in, the dog - and his threats? His wife's telling him the truth about himself? Yet her love for him?
8. Judge Livi, tough, the third judge to get the job to track Broussard down, her being summoned by her uncle Armand and his talk about the poisoned chalice - and her returning it to him at the end? Her background, her Jewish father, Catholic mother, stating that she was an agnostic? With Roux, the interview, his being her subordinate, taking him to dinner and his pain? Their work together, examining the documents? Her going to visit the Jesuit, the friendship from university days, his curating the library, the discussions, his hesitance, his giving her the information outside the building? Roux and his going to the home for elderly priests, playing bowls, the senile priest talking about going to confession and being on the run? Their visiting the Cardinal of Lyon, his assistant, his opening up documents, yet his treading carefully? The discussions with the professor who assembled the documents? Their working together, in the police cell, secrecy? The judge's decision to publish the photo, Roux's advice against it? It forcing Broussard to go underground? The discussion with the police chief and his enjoying his dinner? The raid in Nice, their being too late? Going through the list of monasteries, finding Broussard dead? Going to the reception, the judge and her discussion with Armand, the discussions with the Old Man and his finally being exposed? Roux, his military background, personality, collaboration with the judge, the interviews? The two and their personalities, motivations?
9. The public officials, Armand and his warning, the judge and Roux being followed, their being photographed, Armand getting the photos?
10. The group of abbots and superiors, their sheltering of Broussard, giving information, obedience to the cardinal, giving the truth, concealing the truth, old loyalties, the phone calls to the Vatican and the Vatican connections of the past? The commissar and his working in the vineyard, his being arrested, wanting it to be known that he had collaborated with the police?
11. The Old Man, the sinister power behind the throne, his being the officer commanding at the incident with the death of the Jews? His communication with his official, his finally asking him to do the assassination after the two assassination attempts failed, the opening assassination, the young man and his super-confidence, being shot by Broussard in the toilet? Their plan to pretend that it was a Jewish conspiracy rather than self-protection? The police official, the phone calls, the promise of a passport, meeting at the café in Nice, his shooting Broussard in the street?
12. The portrait of Broussard, his last days, the background of his life, his self-pity, his dependence, his finally feeling that he could escape? His death?
13. The information given to the audience in the aftermath of the film about the legislation, about war trials?
