Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Carole Bouquet, Eric Boucher, Patrice Chéreau, Heino Ferch, Pascal Greggory, Jean-Roger Milo
Director: Claude Berri
Producer: Claude Berri
Screenplay: Claude Berri, based on Outwitting the Gestapo by Lucie Aubrac
Cinematography: Vincenzo Marano
Music: Philippe Sarde
U.S. Distributor: USA Films
In French with English subtitles
Lucie Aubrac is a fairly traditional adventure story set against the backdrop of occupied France during World War II. And, although the film doesn't break new ground or offer a unique perspective on events of the era, director Claude Berri presents this tale in a straightforward manner that is both effective and engaging. There are no questions about the identities of the good guys (the French Resistance) or the bad guys (the Nazis and the Collaborators), nor are there many side issues, secondary characters, or subplots to keep track of. The result is a well executed motion picture that will hold most viewers' attention for the two hour running length.
Berri has based Lucie Aubrac on the autobiographical Outwitting the Gestapo, written by the title figure about her experiences during World War II. With respect for keeping the historical record straight, the writer/director opens the movie with a disclaimer, indicating that "liberties" have been taken with actual events in order to make them more dramatically effective. I am hard-pressed to recall any American production that has made a similar claim, even when huge chunks of history have been altered to suit the film's purposes.
The movie opens in Lyon, France during March 1943 with the explosive destruction of a German supply train (it's a breathtaking sequence - I defy Hollywood to do better). This attack was organized by Raymond Aubrac (Daniel Auteuil), a member of the French resistance. Raymond is married to the independent-minded Lucie (Carole Bouquet); they are the parents of one young child and have another on the way. When, in the aftermath of the train incident, Raymond is arrested for black marketeering on suspicion of terrorism, Lucie uses her icy glare and a none-too-veiled threat to convince the authorities to release him. Shortly thereafter, Raymond is again taken into custody - this time while attending a high level meeting with other Resistance leaders. The location was betrayed to the police and many key members of the underground organization are captured. Because of his association with Max (Patrice Chereau), General de Gaulle's attaché in France, Raymond earns the special attention of Klaus Barbie (Heino Ferch), the brutal Gestapo chief in Lyon. After being questioned and tortured (in a chilling scene that stays lodged in the memory), Raymond is thrown into a dirty, cockroach-infested cell to rot until his death sentence is carried out. Meanwhile, Lucie, willing to risk all to save her beloved husband, campaigns to pull together the local, fragmented cell of the Resistance and stage a dangerous rescue.
With the consummate skill of a veteran director who is comfortable with his craft, Berri combines adventure, romance, and drama by using good acting and solid writing. In many ways, the film is as much a love story as it is a period thriller. Daniel Auteuil (Un Coeur en Hiver, My Favorite Season), one of France's leading actors, is believable as Raymond, a man willing to die for his family and his country. Carole Bouquet (Grosse Fatigue), a beautiful actress with an impressive resume (who, sadly, is best known on this side of the Atlantic for her part as Bond girl Melina in For Your Eyes Only), plays Lucie perfectly, capturing both her vulnerability and her cold determination. Berri is also a master of building suspense. With an uncertain outcome to the rescue, the director is able to ratchet up the level of tension as the climax approaches.
Berri has been responsible for some of the best films to emerge from France during the last two decades. However, Lucie Aubrac has neither the thematic richness nor the emotional power of either 1986's Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring or 1993's Germinal. Those anticipating another masterpiece from Berri will be disappointed; he has not set his sights so high for this project. What he has made - a beautifully crafted World War II adventure film - will still entertain and satisfy the majority of those who pay money to see it.
© 1999 James Berardinelli