Lacombe Lucien (1974)
Genre: Drama / War
Duration: 138 minuten
Alternative titles: Lacombe, Lucien / Cognome e Nome: Lacombe Lucien
Country:
France / Italy / West Germany
Directed by: Louis Malle
Stars: Pierre Blaise, Aurore Clément and Holger Löwenadler
IMDb score:
7,6 (8.329)
Releasedate: 30 January 1974
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Lacombe Lucien plot
"A KNOCK OUT. A MAJOR WORK. MALLE SUCCEEDS TRIUMPHANTLY."
Lucien Lacombe, eighteen, lives in a small town in the south-west of France. It is the summer of 1944 and his father is held captive in Germany. His mother has a relationship with her boss. Lucien is not admitted to the resistance and now works for the German police. Then he meets France Horn, the daughter of a wealthy Jewish tailor.
Actors and actresses
Lucien Lacombe
France Horn
Albert Horn
La Grand-mère
Jean-Bernard
Betty Beaulieu
Faure
Tonin
Aubert
Melle Chauvelot
Reviews & comments
kos
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- 46721 messages
- 8876 votes
It takes some getting used to seeing a film like this if you are used to films from the past 20 years.
So quiet, time-consuming and rich, no producer would dare to do that anymore.
That said, it's not a movie that I'm completely crazy about.
This is also due to the annoying main character (who, by the way, looks exactly like Genny from the Gomorrah series).
On the other hand, it is smart to give him the leading role and to follow him closely (no matter how unsympathetic), as otherwise such a picture of the opportunistic collaborator clique can never be given.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Dievegge
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- 3180 messages
- 8228 votes
The first thing we see of Lucien is him killing a bird with a stone. Then he also shoots a hare and kills a chicken. This cruelty to animals is indicative of his moral insensitivity and a foreshadowing of the role he will play in the war. When he falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a Jewish tailor, it leads to cognitive dissonance. The era and the southern French nature are beautifully depicted. Things drag a bit in the second half.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
It's a bit shocking in the first 15 minutes, which introduce a cold, indifferent Lucien who enjoys killing animals. Hunting rabbits is one thing and chickens have to be slaughtered - there is a purpose behind that, but catapulting small birds, I see little point in that other than the satisfying feeling of entertaining a sadist.
It seems like a character sketch of an apparently beautiful innocent boy of what he is actually capable of. It might as well have been an introduction to Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer. These snapshots are quite stereotypical, but as the film progresses, Louis Malle delves deeper and more layered into the character of Lucien.
It is also not so clear to get into the soul of Lucien, how he behaves and what actions he takes when choosing to collaborate. Food for discussion and a lot more complex than simple black and white thinking. That alone is certainly a successful film, partly due to Louis Malle's excellent cinematography. As far as I'm concerned, it won't happen Au Revoir, les Enfants (Film, 1987), but all in all it's certainly worth it.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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