Gramps Is in
the Resistance or Papy fait de la résistance is a cult French film directed by
Jean-Marie Poiré in 1983.
Héléna
Bourdelle, a.k.a. "La Bourdelle," is a great singer and wife of
maestro André Bourdelle. Joining the Resistance, he is killed by the accidental
explosion of a grenade. Following the defeat, the family's mansion is taken
over by German forces, leaving the family occupying a few back rooms and complaining
to the Kommandantur about his excesses and those of his men.
Madame
Bourdelle, her daughters and their tenant help by chance the escape of an English airman
and are then forced to hide him in their cellar. The family, whose former
caretaker Ramirez has become a Gestapo agent, is favoured by General Spontz
who has a soft spot for Bernadette Bourdelle. He is willing to ignore the fact
that Guy-Hubert, son of the family, a seemingly cowardly and effeminate
hairdresser, is actually the elusive vigilante known as
"Super-Resistant".
Michel
Taupin, who is a tenant in the family house, woos without success Bernadette
Bourdelle, after initially having views on Colette. His insistent desire to
join the Resistance leads to many adventures. Imprisoned after an episode at
the Kommandantur, he meets a resistant, Felix / Frémontel, who confides in him,
thinking he is about to be shot by the Germans.
When they are freed by
Super-Resistant, Felix finds himself unable to get rid of Michel. Although she
had vowed not to sing while there were Germans in France, Madame Bourdelle is
forced by General Spontz to attend a reception in honour of Hitler's
half-brother, Marshal Ludwig von Apfelstrudel, held in a castle near Paris.
With the help of Michel Taupin, the Resistance detonate a bomb in the dining
room.
The story
seems to end but proves to be a "film within the film," and gives way
to a contemporary television debate, designed to address the period of
occupation, and to report on the reality of the depicted events in the film.
The show brings together Bernadette Bourdelle and General Spontz (now happily
married), Guy Hubert, Adolfo Ramirez Jr. (son of Ramirez, who came from Bolivia
to defend his father's memory), and Michel Taupin (now Cabinet Minister of
Veterans Affairs).
Soon, the discussion turns to disaster: Ramirez Jr. insults
and defames the other protagonists of the story, who start to beat him up on
the TV set, forcing the host to cut the transmission.
No comments:
Post a Comment