Storyline
In the aftermath of WWI, a young German who grieves the death of her fiancé in France meets a mysterious Frenchman who visits the fiancé's grave to lay flowers.
Writers: François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo, Pierre Niney, Paula Beer, Ernst Stötzner, Pierre Niney, Paula Beer, Ernst Stötzner, Marie Gruber, Johann von Bülow, Anton von Lucke, Cyrielle Clair, Alice de Lencquesaing, Axel Wandtke, Rainer Egger, Rainer Silberschneider, Merlin Rose, Ralf Dittrich, Michael Witte, Lutz Blochberger, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Cast: Pierre Niney -
Adrien Rivoire
Paula Beer -
Anna
Ernst Stötzner -
Doktor Hans Hoffmeister
Marie Gruber -
Magda Hoffmeister
Johann von Bülow -
Kreutz
Anton von Lucke -
Frantz Hoffmeister
Cyrielle Clair -
La mère d'Adrien
Alice de Lencquesaing -
Fanny
Axel Wandtke -
Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel
Rainer Egger -
Le gardien du cimetière allemand
Rainer Silberschneider -
Le vendeur de la robe
Merlin Rose -
Le jeune homme ivre
Ralf Dittrich -
Adolf
Michael Witte -
Gustav
Lutz Blochberger -
L'homme du lac
Trivia:
Based on Ernst Lubitsch's Broken Lullaby See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 8/10
'Frantz' would be the perfect film to be aired by the bilingual
Franco-German television station Arte. It's half German and half
French. In fact, the film is about how these two countries come to
grips with the aftermath of the First World War. There is a German and
a French lead character, and both languages are spoken. This is
unusual, but doesn't feel strange. The story starts in 1919, with a
young widow visiting the grave of her fiancé, who died in France during
the war. When she notices a Frenchman visiting his grave, she is taken
aback. He presents himself as an old friend from the time the soldier
studied in Paris. But little things reveal that this is not the whole
story. Soon, the truth emerges and the story takes some surprising and
moving twists. Acclaimed French director Francois Ozon has put a lot
into this movie. It is an anti-war story, but also a bitter-sweet love
story as well as a portrayal of a society suffering from a post war
trauma. It is most of all an appeal for mutual understanding and
rejection of prejudice. In this sense, the message is now more urgent
than ever, in view of the growing support for populist and even racist
politics on both sides of the Atlantic. The film is shot in beautiful
and stylish black and white, perfectly capturing the elegance of the
period. Ozon doesn't need any distracting subplots or flashy gimmicks,
apart from the use of colour in a few scenes. I couldn't quite figure
out the meaning of this. Some colour scenes are set in a different time
frame, others seem to indicate the rare moments of happiness in a time
that's full of grief and sorrow. The very last scene captures one of
those moments in a wonderful way.
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