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Set in occupied France in 1941, Le Silence de la Mer follows an old Frenchman and his niece, as they are forced to share their country house with a German lieutenant, in the middle of World War II. As the old man and his niece choose to maintain silence in front of the "occupant", the German chooses a different path. Will that be enough to overcome their differences and obstacles?
This is Jean-Pierre Melville's debut as director, and yet he shows such a skill in how he uses this small space where most of the film takes place. The way he and his cinematographer Henri Decaë work with lights and shadows, as well as the framing and the perspective from where different characters stand or sit is great.
The performances from Jean-Marie Robain and Nicole Stéphane as the old man and his niece are solid. They do a lot with just their body language and expressions, but it is Howard Vernon who has to carry the burden as Nazi lieutenant Werner von Ebrennac. He succeeds in transmitting equal doses of dread and menace mixed with an honesty and sincerity that you wouldn't expect from such a character.
I do think that the film is a bit heavy-handed with how it handles its metaphors and symbolism, and I'm not exactly sure that the romantic angle was well executed, or even that necessary. But beyond that, Le Silence de la Mer is a film that challenges us to look beyond the obstacles that separate us in an effort to overcome them. It's up to us if we're up for that on a film, or in real life.
Grade:
LE SILENCE DE LA MER
(1949, Melville)
(1949, Melville)
"Obstacles have to be overcome. Sincerity can always overcome obstacles"
Set in occupied France in 1941, Le Silence de la Mer follows an old Frenchman and his niece, as they are forced to share their country house with a German lieutenant, in the middle of World War II. As the old man and his niece choose to maintain silence in front of the "occupant", the German chooses a different path. Will that be enough to overcome their differences and obstacles?
This is Jean-Pierre Melville's debut as director, and yet he shows such a skill in how he uses this small space where most of the film takes place. The way he and his cinematographer Henri Decaë work with lights and shadows, as well as the framing and the perspective from where different characters stand or sit is great.
The performances from Jean-Marie Robain and Nicole Stéphane as the old man and his niece are solid. They do a lot with just their body language and expressions, but it is Howard Vernon who has to carry the burden as Nazi lieutenant Werner von Ebrennac. He succeeds in transmitting equal doses of dread and menace mixed with an honesty and sincerity that you wouldn't expect from such a character.
I do think that the film is a bit heavy-handed with how it handles its metaphors and symbolism, and I'm not exactly sure that the romantic angle was well executed, or even that necessary. But beyond that, Le Silence de la Mer is a film that challenges us to look beyond the obstacles that separate us in an effort to overcome them. It's up to us if we're up for that on a film, or in real life.
Grade: