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France had a substantial film industry, one of the most important in Europe. Like the British and Americans, the French film industry generally shied away from making anti-NAZI films before the War, although our information is very limited. Hopefully our French readers will know more. The Germand invaded and occupied France (May-June 1940) before the industry had the ability to address the War in any depth. We do not yet know of any war films made during this operiod. The Germans allowed the French movie industry to operate during the occupation, but of course the productions were controled, usually by self-censorship (1940-44). We do not know of any fillms made during thge occupation addressing the War, but here our information is very limited. As the French Army spent most of the War in German POW camps, the French unlike many other countries have not made many World War II films. An exception to this was a large number of films dealing with the Resistance. There have been some Hollywood films suich as the 'The Longest Day' (1962) about D-Day. And a Bert Lancaster film, 'The Train' (1964) about saving French art. It includes some interesting insights about the German use of the French rail system. Another important film is 'Is Paris Burning?' (1966) about the liberation of Pris/ There are two excellent films about children: 'Jeux Interdits' (1952) and 'Au Revoir les Enfants' (1987).
This French film is one of the classic films dealing with World War II boyhoods. It begins much like an ordinary school film with the normal friendships and conflicts among the boys. The film centers on the conflict and then growing frienship between the star pupil and a new boy who provides a little competition. Increasingly the War infringes upn the school. Along with being a fine film, many of the classoc French chool styles are seen, including berets, capes, short pants, and kneesocks. As younger children are not at the school, smocks are not pictured.
'Forbidden Games' won the best foreign film Academy Award. The French title is 'Jeux Interdits'. It is set in occupied France shortly after the Battle of France (May-June 1940). A family is fleeing Paris as the Germans approch. A little girl's parents are killed in an air raid. The Luftwaff attacked fleeing refugees as a way of clogging the roads and disrupting French military movements. A Focke-Wulf 190 is shown in this scene. This was one of the finest fighters of the War, but the Luftwaffe did not have it at the time. The German fighter should have been the ME-109. This kind of plane didn't exist at the moment of the "battle of France" in May and June 1940. She wanders away from the road and other refugees and is taken in by a poor peasant family with a 10-year old boy. He is the the youngest boy who wears a black beret which was still apparently common in rural France. It is a Sensitive film about the developing relationship between the girl and the boy who become great friends and turn to each other for understanding. Influenced by the death and devastation around them, they build and tend a cemetery for animals. This is an especiakly good film ilustrating how children struggle to understand wars in wich they are enveloped. The children give wonderful performances. There is a degree of honesty in their performancds that is often lacking in Hollywood films. In French with English subtitles. Georges Poujouly plays Michel Dolle. Brigitte Fossey plays Paulette.
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