Yes, better than "Casablanca" or "Tale of Two Cities"! Perhaps my all time favorite melodramatic -type film! In a very tightly constructed wartime melodrama, Flynn plays an imprisoned career thief and one time murderer, whom fate hands a chance to convert an ignominious guillotine execution by the Vichy French into a heroic firing squad execution by their German overlords. The complex, shifting, 'reluctant buddy' relationship between costars Flynn(as Jean Picard) and Paul Lukas(as police detective Marcel Bonet) provides a fascinating character study.
Bonet feels a personal responsibility in recapturing Picard, after the latter climbed out of the rubble remains of his cell, after an errant RAF bomb blasted the prison. Picard goes to the home of former crime partner Henri Duval, for help(money, traveling papers and civilian clothes, including Duval's stylish Fedora hat), then leaves on a train with Duval's hard-bitten moll: Louise(Faye Emerson), hoping to escape to Spain within a few days. But Duval turns out to be an informer for Bonet, and tells him Picard's plan. After capturing Picard in his Bordeaux hotel room, the rail trip back to Paris is interrupted by a saboteur-bombed bridge which killed many German troops, as well. After learning that 100 local village men will be shot if the saboteur(s)is not soon delivered to the Germans, Picard proposes to Bonet that he pose as the saboteur, since he will be executed in any case. Picard gradually makes Bonet feel like he is now responsible for the decision whether the 100 live or die.
Meanwhile, some villagers plan to frame Picard and Bonet as the saboteurs. They are opposed by the outspoken village priest(played by Dennis Hoey). Also, a suspected saboteur has been captured by the local Viche police(James Flavin plays the chief), and they suspect Bonet and Picard of being his accomplices. But, in a sudden turn of events, Bonet reluctantly shows them his police ID and claims that Picard and the suspected saboteur are working with him to find the saboteurs. Picard and Bonet learn the details of the sabotage operation from their companion, then help him escape by small plane to England.
Also meanwhile, the 2 men meet Marianne(Jean Sullivan): a pretty, sweet, starry-eyed, unattached village girl. She's very different from the fast, superficial, city girls Picard is used to. It's mutual love at first sight, and throughout the remainder of the film, their relationship serves to considerably soften the otherwise tense drama. As Bonet fears, Picard seems to vacillate between his promise to turn himself in as the saboteur, and 'running off' with Marianne. Picard gives her conflicting signals, saying that their relationship has to be confined to the next day or two for secret reasons. Later, he proposes that they 'run off' to the French-controlled Caribbean island of Martinique(A former acquaintance, whose name Picard has adopted after Bonet supposedly killed him, went into hiding in Martinique). Picard tells Marianne he will go looking for friends to get some money and traveling papers for them. However, he doesn't plan to see her again, and tells Bonet to meet her, in his place.
At his Nazi interrogation, Picard is initially dismissed as another probable phony saboteur, trying to save the 100. He looks perplexed when asked some details about the sabotage operation, then is ordered out of the room. He begins to walk out, but turns around and spits out the precise details asked for, impressing the Germans that he must be the saboteur. Did he have a momentary change of heart? Or did he simply require a few moments to recall the details? One would think he would have these details on the tip of his tongue.
When Marianne learns the truth from Bonet, she asks what sort of man was Picard? After some thought, Bonet responds: "He was a Frenchman", implying that he was courageous enough to put the greater interests of his fellow Frenchmen ahead of his own interests.
We see Picard's character gradually transform from a cynical, self-serving, compulsive thief, disrespected by Bonet, into a somewhat spiritual patriot and hero, respected as a friend by Bonet. This transformation was largely affected by Marianne and the village priest.
As Jack Warner apparently predicted, this film was not well received by contemporary audiences, if treasured by Flynn himself, who was itching to transform into a leading man of more mature film roles. Flynn had been typecast as a light-hearted, dashing, action hero, mostly of past historical periods, and audiences generally refused to accept him as a contemporary career thief and murderer, in a film with mostly somber scenes and no real 'action': only implied violence and deaths. Also, the last part of the film is a real tear jerker, mostly due to the acting of Jean Sullivan, as Marianne. Of course, in generally less dramatic circumstances, many love affairs during these years were soon ended by the war-related death of one or the other. Perhaps contemporary audiences didn't want to be reminded of this in film. But the 3 principle actors were well cast, in a superbly crafted screenplay, directed by veteran Raoul Walsh, who directed most of Flynn's WWII-related films released during the war. Currently available in a DVD package of Flynn's WWII-related films released during the war.
Bonet feels a personal responsibility in recapturing Picard, after the latter climbed out of the rubble remains of his cell, after an errant RAF bomb blasted the prison. Picard goes to the home of former crime partner Henri Duval, for help(money, traveling papers and civilian clothes, including Duval's stylish Fedora hat), then leaves on a train with Duval's hard-bitten moll: Louise(Faye Emerson), hoping to escape to Spain within a few days. But Duval turns out to be an informer for Bonet, and tells him Picard's plan. After capturing Picard in his Bordeaux hotel room, the rail trip back to Paris is interrupted by a saboteur-bombed bridge which killed many German troops, as well. After learning that 100 local village men will be shot if the saboteur(s)is not soon delivered to the Germans, Picard proposes to Bonet that he pose as the saboteur, since he will be executed in any case. Picard gradually makes Bonet feel like he is now responsible for the decision whether the 100 live or die.
Meanwhile, some villagers plan to frame Picard and Bonet as the saboteurs. They are opposed by the outspoken village priest(played by Dennis Hoey). Also, a suspected saboteur has been captured by the local Viche police(James Flavin plays the chief), and they suspect Bonet and Picard of being his accomplices. But, in a sudden turn of events, Bonet reluctantly shows them his police ID and claims that Picard and the suspected saboteur are working with him to find the saboteurs. Picard and Bonet learn the details of the sabotage operation from their companion, then help him escape by small plane to England.
Also meanwhile, the 2 men meet Marianne(Jean Sullivan): a pretty, sweet, starry-eyed, unattached village girl. She's very different from the fast, superficial, city girls Picard is used to. It's mutual love at first sight, and throughout the remainder of the film, their relationship serves to considerably soften the otherwise tense drama. As Bonet fears, Picard seems to vacillate between his promise to turn himself in as the saboteur, and 'running off' with Marianne. Picard gives her conflicting signals, saying that their relationship has to be confined to the next day or two for secret reasons. Later, he proposes that they 'run off' to the French-controlled Caribbean island of Martinique(A former acquaintance, whose name Picard has adopted after Bonet supposedly killed him, went into hiding in Martinique). Picard tells Marianne he will go looking for friends to get some money and traveling papers for them. However, he doesn't plan to see her again, and tells Bonet to meet her, in his place.
At his Nazi interrogation, Picard is initially dismissed as another probable phony saboteur, trying to save the 100. He looks perplexed when asked some details about the sabotage operation, then is ordered out of the room. He begins to walk out, but turns around and spits out the precise details asked for, impressing the Germans that he must be the saboteur. Did he have a momentary change of heart? Or did he simply require a few moments to recall the details? One would think he would have these details on the tip of his tongue.
When Marianne learns the truth from Bonet, she asks what sort of man was Picard? After some thought, Bonet responds: "He was a Frenchman", implying that he was courageous enough to put the greater interests of his fellow Frenchmen ahead of his own interests.
We see Picard's character gradually transform from a cynical, self-serving, compulsive thief, disrespected by Bonet, into a somewhat spiritual patriot and hero, respected as a friend by Bonet. This transformation was largely affected by Marianne and the village priest.
As Jack Warner apparently predicted, this film was not well received by contemporary audiences, if treasured by Flynn himself, who was itching to transform into a leading man of more mature film roles. Flynn had been typecast as a light-hearted, dashing, action hero, mostly of past historical periods, and audiences generally refused to accept him as a contemporary career thief and murderer, in a film with mostly somber scenes and no real 'action': only implied violence and deaths. Also, the last part of the film is a real tear jerker, mostly due to the acting of Jean Sullivan, as Marianne. Of course, in generally less dramatic circumstances, many love affairs during these years were soon ended by the war-related death of one or the other. Perhaps contemporary audiences didn't want to be reminded of this in film. But the 3 principle actors were well cast, in a superbly crafted screenplay, directed by veteran Raoul Walsh, who directed most of Flynn's WWII-related films released during the war. Currently available in a DVD package of Flynn's WWII-related films released during the war.