CHARLOTTE GRAY
UK/Australia, 2002, 121 minutes, Colour.
Cate Blanchett, James Fleet, Abigail Cruttenden, Rupert Penry- Jones, Billy Crudup, Michael Gambon, Anton Lesser, Ron Cook.
Directed by Gillian Armstrong.
Charlotte Gray is based on a war novel by celebrated author, Sebastian Fawkes.
The film has been adapted for the screen by Sebastian Faulkes and has been directed by Gillian Armstrong, a prominent Australian director who impressed audiences with her initial feature film, My Brilliant Career, made several films overseas including Mrs Soffell and Little Women. She had worked with Cate Blanchett in one of her earliest films, Oscar and Lucinda.
Cate Blanchett has the capacity of immersing herself in her roles, not looking particularly different necessarily, but creating a completely new character. Here she is a young Scots woman who is working in London. She has a chance encounter in the train with a man who interrogates her (James Fleet), sees her potential for work in the Resistance, gives her a card and, encouraged by friends, she goes to a party that he hosts. There is a complication at the party where she encounters a young pilot, Rupert Penry- Jones, and they are attracted.
In the situation of war, he is concerned that if she works for the underground she is in danger but she says that he is in more danger as a pilot. In fact, he is shot down and disappears in France.
With a background knowledge of French, Charlotte agrees to become part of the war effort, first training as a First Aid driver, then parachuting into France. But, when her cover is in danger, she goes to work as a housekeeper in the home of the father of the French resistance leader, Julian (Billy Crudup). The father is played by Michael Gambon.
Since this is 1942, there is a focus on Jewish residents of France, their being rounded up by officials of the Vichy government. The father is giving shelter to two Jewish boys and he himself is of Jewish origin. One of the officials in the town (Anton Lesser) pressurises Charlotte to give information and begins a liaison with her, he controlling her, she protecting the Jews.
When one of the resistance missions is disastrous, Julian is suspicious of Charlotte but there are more complications when the local official forces Julian to betray his father and the boys as Jews, Julian explaining that he is Jewish but this is rejected because this is only a small part of his ancestry.
Charlotte is moved by the fate of the father and the boys, writes a letter in the name of the boy’s parents urging them to courage.
At war’s end, the pilot is discovered to be still living but the relationship between Charlotte and himself has broken down and she goes to the south of France to meet Julian again.
Many audiences liked the film but it received quite some critical condemnation – unfortunately.
1. A 21st-century perspective on World War II? 60 years after the events? The perspective of the novel, Sebastian Faulkes? Audience awareness of other war heroines, Nancy Wake, Odette, Violette Szabo and films on their exploits?
2. Audience knowledge of World War II, the war in Europe, the Nazis, the invasions and occupations, the French Resistance? National experiences of the war? Personal?
3. The recreation of France in the period, costumes, decor? The contrast with London and England? The villages, life and detail, homes, streets, cafes? The countryside? The railways? The action sequences? The musical score?
4. The title, the focus on Charlotte, Cate Blanchett’s presence and performance? 1942? Scots, on the train, the encounter with Richard, the discussion? His card? His interest in recruiting people? The invitation to the social, her acceptance, her friends urging her? The encounter with Peter Gregory? The attraction, together? His future as a pilot, the dangers, his concern about her accepting the role in the underground?
5. Charlotte going to France, the training in First Aid, details of the training, her becoming a driver? The news of Peter, missing? Her motivations, her knowledge of French, and willing to join the resistance, parachuting into France, the night, the chance encounter with the boys, their torches, their thinking her and angel?
6. The mission, to deliver the tubes, the meeting with the agent, in the cafe, the agent fearing her cover was revealed, the police arrival? The danger for Charlotte and being exposed?
7. The friendship with Julian, his father and his house, the Resistance? The young boys, the two that Charlotte had met? The Jewish background? The Vichy government, the quota for Jews to be transported?
8. Renech, his authority in the town, the Jewish quota, his relationship with Charlotte, wanting her to give information, his control over her, her surface agreement?
9. The resistance, Julian, the ambush, so many killed? Suspicions about Charlotte? Renech’s arrival, the papers?
10. The conflict, the pressure on Julian, to betray the Jews, to betray his father? The character of his father, respect for him? While betraying his father but admitting his Jewish ancestry – rejected because of the small component? The father and the boys taken? On that train, Charlotte trying to rescue them?
11. Julian, approaching Renech, shooting him? His decision to go to the south of France?
12. The trains, the deportations, the people running to identify relatives, Charlotte writing the letter, finding the carriage with the boys and Julian’s father, giving the latter, forgery, yet for Charlotte, the importance of hope, the hope for the boys? And the death in the concentration camp – as explained in the novel?
13. The end of the war, Charlotte’s experience, discovering that Peter had survived, their meeting again, the romance unable to be rekindled? Charlotte going to seek out Julian? Revealing her name?
14. The audience immersed in the experience of World War II?
