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Sunday, September 6, 2020

La Ligne De Demarcation (aka Line Of Demarcation) (1966)

Set during WWII in a small French village that is split by a river with Nazi forces occupying one side of the river and the other side being a free zone. Naturally, the Germans refuse to let the French citizens cross over to the free zone. Based on MEMOIRES D'UN AGENT SECCRET DE LA FRANCE LIBRE ET LA LIGNE DE DEMARCATION by Gilbert Renault and directed by Claude Chabrol. The film gives us a tension filled look at an occupied village where Nazis, the resistance, spies (from both sides), war profiteers and traitors all volley for advancement. It's an ensemble piece with several storylines: a disillusioned aristocrat (Maurice Ronet) who doesn't care if the Germans are victorious while unknown to him, his wife (Jean Seberg) aids the resistance. A doctor (Daniel Gelin) works for the resistance while keeping his wife (Stephane Audran) in the dark. A wounded soldier (Jacques Perrin) attempting to get to the free zone, an interpreter (Rene Havard) spying for the Germans, a parish priest (Pierre Gualdi) who uses the confessional to relay messages. The film plays out like a thriller and Chabrol keeps the tension taut like a stretched out rubber band ready to snap at any minute. With Jean Yanne, Reinhard Kolldehoff and Roger Dumas.  

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