The Sorrow and the Pity (Le chagrin et la pitié) 55 years old
Chronicle of a French City under the Occupation
From 1940 to 1944, France's Vichy government collaborated with Nazi Germany. Marcel Ophüls mixes archival footage with 1969 interviews of a German officer and of collaborators and resistance fighters from Clermont-Ferrand. They comment on the nature, details and reasons for the collaboration, from anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and fear of Bolsheviks, to simple caution. Part one, "The Collapse," includes an extended interview with Pierre Mendès-France, jailed for anti-Vichy action and later France's Prime Minister. At the heart of part two, "The Choice," is an interview with Christian de la Mazière, one of 7,000 French youth to fight on the eastern front wearing German uniforms.
Credits
The Sorrow and the Pity Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Maurice Chevalier He was 81, 83 years old when he died | as Himself |
| Pierre Mendès France He was 62, 75 years old when he died | as Himself - Former Prime Minister of France |
| Georges Bidault He was 69, 83 years old when he died | as Himself |
| Anthony Eden He was 72, 79 years old when he died | as (also archive footage) (as Lord Avon) |
| Emmanuel d'Astier de La Vigerie was 69, 69 years old when died | as Himself - Founder of the Liberation Movement |
| Matthäus Bleibinger | as Himself |
| Jacques Duclos He was 72, 78 years old when he died | as Himself |
The Sorrow and the Pity Crew
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Marcel Ophüls as Director. He was 41 (now 97) years old | Directing |
| Marcel Ophüls as Writer. He was 41 (now 97) years old | Writing |
| André Harris as Writer. He was 36 (63) years old when He died | Writing |
The Sorrow and the Pity (55 years)
Chronicle of a French City under the Occupation
- Release day: Thursday, September 18, 1969
- Runtime: 251 minutes