The Sorrow and the Pity

A film about war and memory, indeed war as memory. As with the best documentaries, this is not simply a collection of loose historical moments presented on screen, but rather a meaningful story about humanity; in this case at its worst and best. While Ophuls certainly condemns fascism, he does not judge those individuals appearing in the film nor those immortalised in archival footage. War, as with life, is excruciatingly complicated. A truly monumental film.

A masterpiece that, viewed at a distance of forty-four years, is as much a document of France in 1969 as it is an exploration, from every angle, of the nature of the Vichy period. One of two great movies featuring the castle of Sigmaringen.

i knew nothing beforehand, so this combination of educational record and subversion of modern myth was fascinating. less a story of german repression, as my ignorance expected, and more one of french enthusiasm, which is all the more horrifying. interviewees were surprisingly open and lacking in self apology, which to me suggests - without trying to theorise on things i know little of - that the beliefs and feelings that encouraged such enthusiasm may not have changed as much as one might think.

I'm always captivated by early(ish) direct cinema technique, and it's especially enrapturing when it's mostly an oral history of WWII. It makes a world of difference to see a person interviewed within their own environment, like a farmhouse or a ritzy foyer, as opposed to some stale studio with a monotone backdrop. It's also fascinating when contrasted against found footage of German/French propaganda of the time. The clashing of myth and reality somehow results in some potent emotional affect.

The overwhelming sense here is the sorrow of the title, which is most evident when the interviewees are asked the right questions by an unflinching and insistent, extremely talented documentary maker

Strong WWII documentary. While it would help to have some background knowledge about French politics of the time most of it is understandable from context and there's a nice variety of perspectives. The mix of interview subjects is rather impressive and gives a really interesting and different view of the war and what went on in France during the period.

# 719

I don't like documentaries. This film made me remember that!

An absolutely fascinating assemblage of material, this film about the French Occupation is almost too rich. Be prepared for a powerful and exhausting deep dive into every aspect of Vichy era France. This is not casual viewing, but only for people with a deep interest in the topic.

Talky--but generally absorbing.

Interesting good documentary that even for its long running time never bores. But it didn't leave to a very deeper new understanding for me of the period. Which might be because the central thesis of this; the debunking of the myth of France as a country of resistors by giving a realistic account of it, doesn't has the same effect anymore because the whole myth doesn't exist anymore (to me).

An excellently nuanced documentary, unlike modern documentaries that decide a conclusion before filming begins and pursue only one side of a story. Its long run-time is its greatest strength and greatest weakness. Still, I would rather have too much material than not enough.

https://letterboxd.com/ladyspiggott/film/the-sorrow-and-the-pity/

696

A brilliantly made documentary/oral history of the collaboration between France's Vichy government and Nazi Germany during the Nazi occupation of France. If you know the story, it's good; if you don't, or only have a vague idea, it is necessary to gain a fuller idea of WW2. The interviewees are very well chosen and varied. Especially interesting is the French aristocrat former Nazi--he is very open about what appealed to him and why he did things, which I think is critically important even today

#688

An extremely nuanced look at the poltics of the French Occupations with some startingly candid interviews, especially with the German officer.