Truffaut (1932-1984) had intended to make a sort of trilogy about the living arts; first about cinema (Day for Night [1973]); theatre (this film); and vaudeville, which he didn't live long enough to make. Fortunately, the first two films stand on their own quite nicely.
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The title relates to the very real concern of getting out of the theatre or movie-house in time to catch the last metro. If you missed it and were caught on the streets after curfew, serious trouble might result.
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In a long take, with no cuts, the camera tracks Bernard Granger (Gérard Depardieu) as he is trying to pick up the lovely Arlette (Andréa Ferréol). Bernard continually runs in front of her, refusing to take her hints to get lost. Each time, Truffaut frames them in a two-shot as they keep moving. Arlette -- tiring of his advances -- finally agrees to give him her phone number.
The cut finally comes as the camera frames Bernard's face, who slowly realizes she has given him the number where you call and ask for the time of day! He is crestfallen.
Of course, it eventually is revealed that they are both headed for the same destination -- the Théatre Montmartre -- putatively run by the implacable Marion Steiner (an award-winning performance by Catherine Deneuve). Everyone connected with the theatre believes that her Jewish husband, Lucas (Heinz Bennent) has fled Nazi-occupied France -- but he is actually living in the basement of the theatre, where Marion sneaks him food and conjugal visits.
The 10-year-old son of the concierge (Rose Thierry) is hopping along the sidewalk and is patted on his head by a German officer. His mother yanks him away and a few scenes later we see her furiously washing his hair. This actually happened to the to the 10-year-old Truffaut in 1942!
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Bernard is at the theatre for an audition. As he waits, he observes Marion and the gay director -- Jean-Loup Cottins (Jean Poiret) discussing their reticence in hiring a Jewish actor. Cottins has to talk a disgusted Bernard from walking away, who ultimately signs the contract, stipulating that he has no Jewish blood.
Incidentally, Poiret is also known as the author of the play La Cage aux Folles.
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The rest of the cast is stellar -- including a menacing Daxiat (Jean-Lous Richard) -- who is based on the Nazi puppet collaborator Alain Laubreaux -- and Nadine Marsac (Sabine Haudepin) who is so apathetic about the Occupation that she is close to being a collaborator herself.
Georges Delerue's score is spare and subtle, as it should be, and Nestor Almendros's cinematography conforms to the rust-brown colors which signify the period.
Only the happy ending rings false to this reviewer, as in reality, the Gestapo rarely searched a basement hiding a Jew without success.
Thanks for this recommendation of a very satisfying film. Truffaut gleaned quite a bit from actor Jean Marais' memoir. Michel Daxiat was the pseudonym of the critic Alain Laubreaux (1899-1968), who wrote for the anti-Semitic journal "Je suis partout". The scene where Bernard gives him a beating is inspired by an incident when Jean Marais punched Laubreaux in front of many onlookers.
Posted by: Rick Winston | November 05, 2022 at 11:16 AM