LES FEMMES DE L'OMBRE (FEMALE AGENTS)
France, 2008, 120 minutes, Colour.
Sophie Marceau, Julie Depardieu, Marie Gillain, Deborah Francois, Mauritz Bleibtreu, Maya Sansa, Julien Boisselier, Vincent Rottiers.
Directed by Jean- Paul Salome.
The French title is much more evocative of the themes and mood of this World War II thriller than the pot-boiling English title. The women of the shadows are women of the French Resistance who carried out dangerous missions but were overshadowed by the reputations of the men. However, there have been a number of films with women at their centre, Odette (with Anna Neagle) and Carve Her Name with Pride (with Virginia Mc Kenna) in the 1950s, Jean- Pierre Melville’s L’ Armee des Ombres with Simone Signoret and Carole Bouquet as the real-life Lucie Aubrac in Claude Berri’s film.
This time there are five women. The plot is drawn from actual events. The central character, Louise, played very tellingly by Sophie Marceau, died in 2004 at the age of 98.
It is easy to dismiss this film (as did some younger reviewers) as traditional film-making with familiar themes and style, not ‘adventurous’ film-making. The answer is that a solid narrative is presented in a classical style that is evocative of the film-making of the period while benefitting by being able to be more forthright about behaviour and being able to present harsh realities more directly.
With an opening that shows the Resistance in action in blowing up a train but also showing the dangers, the attacks of the German soldiers and summary executions, the film soon goes to England to explain the activities directed by London in France. Louise, and her brother Pierre (Julien Boisselier), have to recruit four women to rescue a British geologist from a German hospital in Normandy. He has important information for the forthcoming DDay landing.
The execution of the mission is well portrayed, the women disguised as nurses and two (Julie Depardieu and Marie Gillain) performing a song and strip show for the patients. While the mission is successful, the women are told to stay in France and to kill the SS officer who wants to prove to Rommel that Normandy rather than Calais is the place for the invasion.
The film then becomes an effective spy thriller with the attempts to kill the officer, played by German actor, Moritz Bleibtreu, as ruthless but not entirely inhuman. However, there are some graphic torture scenes to remind us that interrogations were cruel and painful.
Perhaps the ending is rather melodramatic as Louise emerges from the smoke at a railway station and suddenly disappears into the smoke, a woman of shadows who can move into prohibited areas because the men underestimate the women.
Interesting to see such a story told more than sixty years after the events.
1.Audience interest in World War Two stories from the 1940s through? History, memories, tributes? This perspective from over sixty years later?
2.The structure of the film: classic storytelling, narrative, the appeal for audiences interested in stories?
3.The background of war, the Resistance, heroism, torture? Resistance and sabotage? The organisations in France? The SOE in England? Churchill’s role? The English commander? Collaboration with De Gaulle? The Free French?
4.The Nazi invasion of France, the occupation, Marshal Petain in Vichy? Occupied Paris? The provinces in Normandy? The SS and their role, arrests, torture?
5.World War Two and the Nazis, Hitler, Europe, fighting, the Free French? The Normandy landing? The speculation by the Germans? The scenes of their discussions, expecting Calais?
6.The re-creation of the period, the attention to detail, London and the buildings, France, the towns, the warehouse for the raid, the trains and engines, the hospitals, day and night, the woods? Paris, the institute, the tunnels? The luxury hotels? The Metro? Costumes, décor, makeup, the feel of the period? The score?
7.The title, the women and their roles in World War Two, in the Resistance, leadership?
8.The initial explosion, Louise as a sniper, killing the Germans, Claude and the setting of the bombs, his being taken, execution?
9.London, the SOE and Churchill, its history? Buckmaster as the head? The London headquarters, the establishing of the mission, the role of the geologist, his information about Normandy? Pierre in charge? The background of the family, the clashes with Louise, the criticisms of Claude? Louise and her place in the mission, recruiting the women, going to the prison, Jeanne and the killing of the pimp, her being able to kill, joining the group? Maria and her Jewish background, the family in concentrations camps? Susie as the mistress of the SS chief? Gaelle and her work, scientist, wanting to go into action? The introduction to each of the characters and their different personalities?
10.Louise and her strength, leadership, suppressing of emotions, able to take pressure, killing? The discovery that she was pregnant? The hard aspects of the mission, her grief? Interactions with Pierre? His being taken and tortured? The escape, wanting to complete the mission? The mission itself, the killing of the SS officer? The end of the war, her working as a nurse, her going to the church and lighting the candles as the women had requested?
11.Heindrich, in himself, the SS, his relationship with Liliane? His ability to torture, the geologist, the hospital, the raid, his being shot by Louise, the pursuit of the women, the capture of the van in the night? Going to Paris, taking Pierre? Questioning him, the nature of the torture and humiliation? Gaelle’s arrest, the fingernail torture, her giving the information? At the hotel, the help of Eddie, the photo? Going to the station for the trap, in the office, seeing Susie, his being shot by Louise? Back at the hotel, the meeting with Susie, the embrace, shooting her? The capture of Louise, torturing her, the deal with Pierre, Pierre cutting his throat? Her being transferred to another prison? His need to go to Berlin, the information about D-Day?, his not being believed, the contact with Rommel? His assistant and his helping? Going to the station, the confrontation with Louise, his death?
12.The hospital, the plan for the raid, Louise and Maria and their work, in the hospital itself as nurses, Pierre and control, Susie and Jane, the entertainment of the troops, the song, the striptease, the photo being taken of them? The smoke for the injured soldiers, disabling them? Taking the geologist out on the stretcher, the shooting, the truck, the escape? Getting to the plane, the geologist on board? The women being told to stay? Louise’s reaction, the other women?
13.The members of the Underground, their collaboration, Melchior and his help, his being killed? The women and their reaction to staying, getting the train to Paris, Louise fainting and the doctor helping her, her pregnancy? Jeanne and her concern about the case, the money? The groper and her reporting him, his being taken? Gaelle and her arrest? Going to the institute? Louise and Maria getting out with the help of the doctor? The principal of the institute, her help, Gaelle and her arrest, the fingernail torture, her talking? The arrival of the Nazis, the escape through the sewers, the principal and her arrest?
14.Eddie and his work at the hotel, taking the Jewish agent home, settling in, taking Susie? The other women going, the plan, his becoming involved? Going to the station? Louise and the gun in the tunnel? Jeanne on the platform, giving the messages? The office, the trains, the shooting, Louise and the photo and her arrest?
15.Heindrich, the photo? Going to the hotel, with Susie, killing her? Jeanne and the gun into the room,(*?) Susie unable to use it?
16.The deaths, the raid for Louise’s escape from the van, Maria’s death? Melchior’s death?
17.Pierre, the interrogation, his wanting to save Louise? To go to Berlin, give the information? Cutting his throat?
18.The end of the war, Louise in London? Her tribute to the other women?
19.The film based on actual events and characters – and the central character living childless to ninety-eight years of age?
