IMDb RATING
7.1/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
In the last days of World War II, a group of Nazis and their sympathizers try to escape from reckoning using a submarine.In the last days of World War II, a group of Nazis and their sympathizers try to escape from reckoning using a submarine.In the last days of World War II, a group of Nazis and their sympathizers try to escape from reckoning using a submarine.
- Awards
- 1 win
Marcel Dalio
- Larga
- (as Dalio)
Pierre Fuchs
- Bit Part
- (as E. Fuchs)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe character of Forster is referred in the film to as 'Obergruppenführer'. That means he is in the SS leadership (equivalent to a 3-star general in the army). This naturally explains why the army general on board cannot simply pull rank on him and why the majority of the crew is willing to obey his commands over those of the other officers. Most reviews erroneously describe him as either Gestapo (whose head would be at least one rank below that) or high (civilian) Nazi party official (who would not be referred to by rank).
- Quotes
Le commandant du sous-marin: Their papers are good, but their identities are false.
Featured review
"Their papers are good but their identities are false".
This is director René Clément's third full-length film and already we are aware that he is a great 'film technician' with an eye for detail.
It takes place in a German U-471, a wooden replica of which Clément had built at the Victorine studios. His production designer, Paul Bertrand, has done a wonderful job in recreating the interior and the tracking shots through the vessel by Henri Alekan are impressive. Apparently Clément installed a tilting mechanism to reproduce as much as possible the movements of the submarine.
Essentially dealing with the wages of political sin, the characters almost without exception are a thoroughly unsavoury and ignoble bunch with no redeeming features which naturally makes them horribly fascinating. The only decent character is the doctor of Henri Vidal and therefore infinitely less interesting! I have no doubt that Paul Bernard, Jo Dest and Florence Marly enjoyed their roles immensely. Marcel Dalio gets top billing here and plays 'une crapule' with his usual aplomb.
The film is not without its weaknesses. The punch-ups on board are far from convincing and the various deaths of the protagonists are handled in a very cold, clinical manner. An undeniable strength is the dialogue by renowned Henri Jeanson.
Clément's powerful first feature 'La Bataille du Rail' was filmed in a semi-documentary style whilst this one seems to fall between two stools, those of fact and fiction, with varying results.
This director made fifteen films in twenty-five years a few of which are undisputed masterpieces. 'Les Maudits' is alas not one of them but did in fact beat off some pretty stiff competition to win Best Film at Cannes. Devotees of 'Psycho' please note the scene where a murdered man pulls down the curtain rail from the rod!
It takes place in a German U-471, a wooden replica of which Clément had built at the Victorine studios. His production designer, Paul Bertrand, has done a wonderful job in recreating the interior and the tracking shots through the vessel by Henri Alekan are impressive. Apparently Clément installed a tilting mechanism to reproduce as much as possible the movements of the submarine.
Essentially dealing with the wages of political sin, the characters almost without exception are a thoroughly unsavoury and ignoble bunch with no redeeming features which naturally makes them horribly fascinating. The only decent character is the doctor of Henri Vidal and therefore infinitely less interesting! I have no doubt that Paul Bernard, Jo Dest and Florence Marly enjoyed their roles immensely. Marcel Dalio gets top billing here and plays 'une crapule' with his usual aplomb.
The film is not without its weaknesses. The punch-ups on board are far from convincing and the various deaths of the protagonists are handled in a very cold, clinical manner. An undeniable strength is the dialogue by renowned Henri Jeanson.
Clément's powerful first feature 'La Bataille du Rail' was filmed in a semi-documentary style whilst this one seems to fall between two stools, those of fact and fiction, with varying results.
This director made fifteen films in twenty-five years a few of which are undisputed masterpieces. 'Les Maudits' is alas not one of them but did in fact beat off some pretty stiff competition to win Best Film at Cannes. Devotees of 'Psycho' please note the scene where a murdered man pulls down the curtain rail from the rod!
helpful•40
- brogmiller
- Feb 5, 2020
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Prokletnici
- Filming locations
- Brest, Finistère, France(submarine base in Oslo)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 45 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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