WE WERE ONE MAN

France, 1980, 90 minutes, Colour.
Serge Avidikian, Piotr Stanislas.
Directed by Philip Vallois.

We Were One Man is a World War Two story set in France. Guy, who has spent some time in a mental asylum, is a worker in the French countryside. One day he finds a wounded German and takes him home and looks after him. They clash, the German wants to escape, yet he continues to return. Guy is quite eccentric in his manner, and is romantically attached to Janine, a girl in the town. The Nazi soldier gets used to the life, does not want to go back to Germany. Eventually he realises his dependence on Guy and makes a declaration of love. The two consummate their relationship - and Janine in the final scene comes and lies with them both.

The film was made in France in 1979 with a gay sensibility, using the war situation. The film is the work of Philippe Vallois.

The film creates the atmosphere of the village, draws its characters quite strongly, especially Guy. The film attempts a dramatisation of a homosexual sensibility for a wide audience.

1.Impact of the film? War story? Two men on opposite sides? Mutual dependence, relationship?

2.The atmosphere of the war, the French countryside and towns? The country locations? Musical score?

3.The focus on Guy and Rolf, their mutual interdependence, the climax of the film?

4.Guy, his eccentric manner, behaviour in the countryside, at home, rough? Friendship with Janine, going to the prostitute and Janine's attack on him? Her bringing him food?

5.Finding Rolf, dragging him home, setting him up, taking the gun? Their communication, his going away, shared experiences, the fishing, bringing the bed into the same room to be able to talk? His eating manner, not washing? His story about travels? The truth about his being in an asylum? Supporting the German soldier? Drawing and his ability at drawing, the violin, the drawing of Rolf as an assassin? His changing his attitude? The banquet together, Rolf's advance and his running away? The dog, Rolf returning? Realising the relationship? The offer of himself? The sexual relationship? Janine coming in? The capture of Rolf, the gun, his shooting Rolf and taking him away, burying him and getting into the grave - and his burying of the mice and the dog? Credible portrait of an eccentric character?

6.Rolf, injured, his story? Hitler Youth? Photos of his family? Wanting to escape, his camouflage? The encounters with Guy, Guy's eccentricity? The dog and his playing with it? At the house, Janine? Meeting her? The danger? His dependence on Guy, the banquet, the advance? Guy's rejection and his leaving? The return? The offer? The sexual liaison? Captured, the irony of his death?

7.Janine, the people in the village, anti-Nazi? the brutal treatment of collaborators? Dangers for Guy - yet the villagers excusing him because he had been in an asylum? Janine and her love for guy, the sexual liaison, anger at him at the prostitute's? Bringing him food, communicating with Rolf and Guy? Overhearing their stories? Their intimacy? Coming in with them at the end? Rolf's death?

8.The people of the village, their attitude towards Guy, the experience of the war? Collaborators?

9.Themes of relationship, men's sexuality, mutual dependence, sexual expression? A credible and sympathetic dramatisation of homosexual sensibility?