LA VACHE ET LE PRISONNIER (THE COW AND I)

France, 1959, 111 minutes, Black and White.
Fernandel, Rene Harvard, Albert Remy.
Directed by Henri Verneuil.

La Vache et le Prisonniere (The Cow and I) is a star vehicle for engaging French comedian, Fernandel. He appeared in many French films but achieved universal popularity with the Don Camillo series in the '50s. He did not appear in many English-speaking films - though he co-starred at this time with Bob Hope in Paris Holiday.

The film is a French version of the prisoner of war films, so popular in Britain in the '50s. It has a comic and ironic touch with Fernandel as a prisoner of war, a rather daring of homely war escape attempt with its consequent dangers - and a rather sad ending with the reimprisonment of the escapee. Screenplay was co-written by the director Henri Verneuil, who was to make a number of action films in the '60s and '70s, both in France and internationally: The Sicilian Clan, Guns for St. Sebastian, The Burglars.

1. An interesting and entertaining war film? The French background? European sensibility? The film as a comic-serious vehicle for Fernandel?

2. The European locations, atmosphere of Europe during World War Two? Black and white photography? Musical score?

3. The popularity of prisoner of war films in the '50s? The memories of World War Two? The tributes? The quality of this film in itself? In comparison with others of the genre?

4. How plausible was the plot? The portrait of prisoners of war? The camps? German farms and French worker prisoners? The use of the cow as a way of escaping? The adventures during the escape? Dangers, narrow escapes? The sad irony of the ending?

5. Fernandel presence and personality as Charles Bailly? French background? His work on the German farm? The relationship with the Germans? The guards? The other French prisoners? The lifestyle on the farm? His relationship with Marguerite - and the plausible farm-work as a cover for the escape? His cultivating the ease of company with Marguerite? Allaying suspicions of observers? The beginning of the escape, the walk, time, the encounters with German soldiers, with other escapers, disguises, language? The manoeuvres, the bombing raid? Marguerite and her part throughout the escape? The encounter with the bull? The finale and his walk to freedom? His tension throughout? Anxiety, good humour? The farewell to Marguerite at Stuttgart? The voyage to France under the train? The frontier pursuit? The irony of his getting into the wrong train and the return to imprisonment? A presentation of an interesting personality? An engaging hero?

6. The range of supporting cast - from French prisoners to German farmhands, to escaping prisoners to German soldiery? The credibility of the supporting cast for the action?

7. The focus on the cow? The personality of the cow - with the name? The friendship with Bailly? Participation in the adventures? Dangers? Easy acceptance by people of the French farmer walking the cow? The farewell?

8. The portrait of the French and their experiences during the war? The contrast with the Germans?

9. Themes of imprisonment, the drive for freedom and escape? The risking of life? The nature of the dangers?

10. A tribute to the French? A memoir of the spirit of resistance and imprisonment in World War Two?