Resistance

From the time of Hitler's appointment to Chancellor, men and women lived and died resisting German occupation. Resistance groups sprang up in every occupied country, and several organizations in Germany herself. Their members succeeded and failed in all sorts of activities against the Third Reich.

The world in August 1939 was a world that held its breath. Fighting had ended in Spain, and the war in China had stagnated. But few people believed war would be avoided.

The Normandy Breakout had smashed the German Seventh Army, and the Allies advanced on Paris.

Jean-Pierre Melville’s story about the French Resistance was first made in 1969, but it’s been released to art houses around the United States. Famous among critics for its sense of fear and terror among the maquis, it is better known for its artistic success than its box office or historical accuracy. Still, it’s always interesting to see films about the war from countries that were engaged.