THE CROSS OF LORRAINE

US, 1943, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Jean- Pierre Aumont, Gene Kelly, Cedric Hardwicke, Richard Whorf, Joseph Calleia, Peter Lorre, Hume Cronyn, Wallace Ford.
Directed by Tay Garnett.

The Cross of Lorraine is an American film but focuses on French soldiers who are persuaded by Marshal Petaìn to surrender to the Germans and promised a return home, but who are transported to prisoner-of-war camps in Germany.

The film captures the French atmosphere, despite so many of the cast speaking with very American accents. It creates the atmosphere of France at the outbreak of World War Two, the fight against the Germans, the establishment of Vichy France as well as a picture of the concentration camps.

Jean- Pierre Aumont had been a French film and stage actor who came to the United States in 1942 and performed in Assignment in Brittany and this film. He then fought with the Free French in north Africa. This was an early film for Gene Kelly (and he did something of the same role in Pilot #5). Cedric Hardwicke is the dignified priest who is in the military and is executed in the camp after conducting a service in memory of the dead. His performance indicates the high respect for the padres in World War Two (just as Pat O’ Brien showed with his portrayal of Father Duffy in The Fighting 69th). Peter Lorre is a wheedling and horrible German guard. Hume Cronyn is the happy-go-lucky stooge of the Germans who is the victim of his collaboration. Joseph Calleia is rather sinister as a Spanish prisoner who had fought against the fascists during the Civil War. Wallace Ford is an older sympathetic farmer who is killed while attempting to escape.

Because this film is early in the stories of the war and concentration camps, it might seem derivative. However, other films tend to be derivative of this one. It was directed by Tay Garnett, a World War One aviator who entered films in the early 1920s, directed many films but had a high pojnt around this time and the years following with Mrs Parkington, Valley of Decision and, especially, The Postman Always Rings Twice.

This is a very interesting and entertaining war propaganda film.

1. The impact of the film in its time? The portrait of the French? The oppression of the French? The status of the Free French under General De Gaulle at this time? The film seen in retrospect? With the understanding and knowledge of the history of the war? A perspective on war propaganda? (Released the same year as Calablanca.)

2. The black and white photography, the suggested French locations on the Hollywood sets? The villages, the countryside? The picture of the concentration camp? The musical score?

3. The title? The emblem of the Resistance? Of the Free French? The Cross of Lorraine and the memory of Joan of Arc?

4. The introduction to the characters, the war in France? The survey of the range of men, their backgrounds, homes, farms, taxi-driving in Marseilles, lawyers, Spanish prisoners, wine cellars? Their joining up? Their fighting together? The German attack? Deaths? The round-up? Their leader, persuaded by the Germans to speak out? The surrender, the promises of the Germans and of Marshal Petain? The round-up, their being put on the trains, not going home, arriving in Germany? The concentration camp?

5. The camp itself, the commandant, his seeming urbaneness, yet his ruthlessness? The guards? Peter Lorre as Sergeant Berger? His sinister style? His disdain of the prisoners? His torturing Victor? Victor spitting at him? His vengeance? His using Duval? The trips across the border, the pretences, smuggling the goods? His talking with Paul? Persuading him to take Duval’s place? The setup? Paul and his taking the opportunity of freeing his fellow prisoners, the documents? The substitution of Victor in the ambulance? At the border, the pursuit? Paul stabbing Berger in the neck? The escape? The portrait of the Germans – in the context of 1942-43?

6. Paul, his background as a lawyer? His manner? His friendship? Heroism? His friendship with Victor, Victor as irascible, the taxi driver, the patriot, violent? His outbursts? His being taken and tortured, spitting on Berger? The crushing of his spirit? His unwillingness to leave the camp?

7. The range of other prisoners, Francois and his support of Paul? Rodriguez and the memories of the fascists in Spain, imprisonment? His fierce anti-German attitudes? Pierre, the background of the farm, the possibility of escape, the seeming lack of surveillance, his running to the wall, his being shot? Surviving in the infirmary, his death? The range of other characters? Their attitudes towards Duval?

8. Duval, his background, smooth talker, ability to speak German? His being given the position of translator, his manner of doing it, his sneering, humour? His health, food? With the other men? Their despising him? Their ultimately killing him?

9. Paul, his taking Duval’s place? The attitude of the men? His trying to do right by them? A man of conscience? The discussions with Father Sebastian? His final decisions, the documents, the escape?

10. Father Sebastian, his work in the church, as a chaplain? In the camp, wearing his clerical robes? His wise counsel for the men? The issue of the bread, one loaf for the whole group, Victor and his seizing it? Father Sebastian’s quiet control, blessing and breaking the bread – the Eucharistic overtones? His decision to pray for the dead, Berger telling him not to? His being shot?

11. The escape? The men freed with Paul’s certificates? Their gathering at the house? The mother and her welcoming the group, the meal? The Germans and the reprisals? The confrontation, the village rising up against the Nazis, chasing them away? Victor and his going into action? Paul and his leadership? The villagers and their decision, that the Germans would return, the decision to burn the village and move on?

12. The atmosphere of 1943, the French Resistance – and the Free French under De Gaulle’s leadership?