r
A POUND OF FAT-FREE
written and directed by Academy
Award-winning Claude Berri (for his
short subject film La Poulet), who
spent his childhood in France during
the Resistance years.
Lucie Bernard (Carole Bouquet),
a.k.a Lucie Aubrac, spends most of the
fast-moving film bailing her activist
husband Raymond Samuel (Daniel
Auteuil) out of trouble. Raymond,
who is Jewish, uses several names
other than Samuel, and tries unsuc-
cessfully to get his parents to drop the
Samuel name as well. But his father
boasts that the name has lasted for
centuries in France. This inaction
comes back to haunt the parents later.
When Raymond is first arrested on
a black-marketing charge, Lucie
springs him by going directly to the
French prosecuting attorney and
threatening him with Mafia-style bod-
ily harm if Raymond is not released by
a certain date — May 14.
This brings out the movie's passion-
ate love story — even overriding the
cause of the Resistance against the
Nazis. Lucie and Daniel had taken an
oath always to be together on that
date — the yearly anniversary of the
first time they made love. Lucie, now
in her 80s, and Raymond have kept
that oath for 57 years.
The strongest part of the film,
though, is Lucie's ingenious plan to
organize a daring escape for Raymond
after he is arrested again. This time,
ruthless Gestapo agents have sen-
tenced him to death.
Raymond entrusts a bookstore
owner, who spends a few months as
his cellmate, with enough personal
knowledge that he can relay informa-
tion to Lucie without suspicion.
When she can be sure of her hus-
band's whereabouts, her cunning,
resourcefulness and burning desire to
keep that May 14 date take over.
Berri concentrates so much on the
love part of the story that he doesn't
show Lucie assisting in very many acts
of resistance, and he admits to taking
certain liberties with real-life events
and characters "for structural and pac-
ing reasons."
But, pleasantly, the Resistance
fighters are shown looking like busi-
nessmen, with jackets and ties rather
than the grubby attire of the guerrillas
depicted in old war movies.
Lucie Aubrac is a French-lan-
guage film with English subtitles. It
is rated R. Opening today, exclu-
sively at the Maple Art Theatre.
. A M fiftaM
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),
of a smile, "it's a great adventure film.
"She had a role, I know, much more
"Yes, I think, certainly the danger of
important than she's given credit for in
their situation comes through vividly."
the movie," says Weitz.
And, despite her complaints, Weitz says
Though Weitz makes sure to mention
most Americans could learn from any pre-
Aubrac's distinctive character, hers is by no
means the only story of its kind.
She is a woman typical, in one
sense, of [all] women of the
Resistance," she says.
"She carried four roles: she
was a wife, a mother, a teacher
and a Resistance figure. She was
able to use her domestic role as a
cover," Weitz says, citing the tech-
nique Aubrac and other women of
the Resistance used, including
making deliveries and sending mes-
sages under the pretense of doing
"Lucie Aubrac was able to use her domestic role as
domestic errands.
a cover," says Professor Margaret Weitz, much like
This was an especially impor-
other women of the Resistance.
tant service women performed
for the Resistance, she explains,
),
sensation of the Resistance. "I think
because "women always did errands.
Americans don't really understand the situa-
Even in Nazi-occupied France, they
tion in occupied France," she says.
could go out routinely, when men
Occasionally, she gets a reminder of
risked drawing attention to themselves
the ignorance that troubles her most:
in that climate of suspicion and surveil-
"People have asked me whether there
lance.
were Nazis in France," she says. Of this,
Weitz laments the absence of such
at least, Lucie Aubrac leaves little room
material in Lucie Aubrac.
for doubt. ri
"I have to say, " she adds with a hint
s flavor!"
ohn Tanasychuk
bit Free Press
•J
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1999
Detroit Jewish News
91