LA MER A L'AUBE

France/Germany, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Volker Schlondorff.

Volker Schloendorff has made Oscar winning films like The Tin Drum as well as smaller films like The Ninth Day, the story of a priest in Dachau sent on mission to persuade the archbishop of Luxembourg to support the Third Reich. This is one of his smaller films, based on a story he heard when he was young and was learning French in France after the war.

In 1941, the Nazis with the help of the police of the Vichy regime had rounded up undesirables, suspects, Communists and interned them in local camps. When a prominent SS officer is killed by resistance fighters in the streets of Nantes, Hitler demanded 150 hostages be shot. The local commander was more humane and wanted to avoid such cruelty and explained that this was no way to win the hearts and minds of the people. A French officer working for the high command made some pleas. Local collaborators suggested names for the list.

The film introduces us to a range of undesirables in the camp, some younger men arrested because of their parents, older men who had a strong ideological stance. They are all on the list. While the film shows us some humane details (the 17 year old who flirts with a girl in the women’s internment camp), the main focus is on the choice of the hostages, their reactions, their preparation for execution.

The film shows the officer in the camp showing his men how the killing of the hostages is done – which gives the audience a great deal of time to identify with the hostages, observe their responses, empathise and speculate how they would act in similar circumstances.

The film also raises the issue of 150 hostages dying for one SS officer and whether this was sound Resistance strategy. There is also a small sub-plot of a German soldier who collapses rather than shoot. The author Ernst Junger is also a character, asked to write a personal account for the record of what happened. (He is played by Ulrich Mattes, the priest in The Ninth Day and Goebbels in Downfall).

The film is a German- French co-production, keeping alive the memory of war incidents seventy years earlier.

1. A story of World War Two? Seventy years later? Preservation of memories?

2. The French coastal setting, the city of Nantes, the streets, the camp for the interns, their huts? German headquarters? Sense of realism? The musical score?

3. A French story? French perspective? A German film? The memories of German supremacy? The role of the Nazis, occupation and oppression?

4. The introduction to the camp, the race, Guy and his flirting with Odette, his winning the race, the kiss, the soap as a prize? His boxing? Seventeen, his father arrested and under suspicion? His friendship with Claude, flirting with the girls? Claude, his wife, his pass to get out of prison?

5. The pLam, the conspirators, the communist party, shooting an officer, in the street, shooting the officer dead, the pursuit by the fellow officer, the escape? The role of the police, the search for the killers?

6. Paris and the occupation, the German command, the overall commander, his age and experience, respect? His unwillingness to carry out the reprisals? His sense of humanity, his sense of order? Attitude towards Hitler? Ernst Junger, his reputation as a writer, observing? The commander getting him to copy down all that went on, from his literary point of view, as a record? For the future? The agent from Berlin and his orders, Hitler and his demand for one hundred and fifty hostages to be executed? The French officials, the young man and his organising the list, the secretary typing the names? The work in the office, the list and the criteria? Advice?

7. The visit of the French agent to the camp, his antagonism towards the communists, past friendship, hostility? The older members being interned, communists, the MP, engineers? The agent and his reporting back, insisting these men be on the list?

8. Guy, his life, meeting with Odette, her being interned? A future? Claude, embracing his wife, the hope for the release?

9. The conspirators, the discussion about one death for one hundred and fifty? The man who wanted to tell the truth? The others forbidding him?

10. The German soldier, his bike, the cigarette to the owner of the bike, his being considered weak by the commanding officer, his experience in Russia, telephonist? His being mocked?

11. The selection of the groups, the list, assemblies in the huts, the reactions of the men?

12. The priest, his coming to support the men, not wanting to change their convictions? Delivering the letters to the family? The farewells – the respect of the communist, admitting the church had martyrs as well? A sympathetic presentation of a priest, his priestly role – to all who were going to die?

13. The commanding officer and his explanation of the routines for the executions, three groups of nine, the men being roped to the stake, three bullets for each group? Collecting the bodies, lowering them? The shot to the head? Covering the blood with sand?

14. The three groups, the voice-overs of what was on their minds, singing, slogans, shouting, personal memories?

15. The sick German, his fainting, inability to shoot, the doctor saying his collapse was authentic?

16. The film giving the audience time enough to identify with the men, their lives, their causes, facing the reality of dying?

17. The effect of telling this story in the 21st century?