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Film “ Reseau X " French Resistance and Espionage Wwii Occupied France (French Language) 46194 (1944)

1944 · Short film · 13 min

  • War
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Synopsis

Directed by Albert Mahuzier and filmed by Gaston Madru, "Reseau X" is a documentary that shows the French "secret service" trying to rescue Allied pilots who were shot down over Occupied France. The film also shows the French underground and its support of the liberation of France. The airmen shown in the film are U.S. Army Air Force 2nd Lt. Alfred Richter, Sgt. Robert Peterson, and First Officer James Stewart of the RAF. The film was primarily shot on 12 June, 1944, just about a month prior to the liberation of Paris. Post war it was shown at Cannes in 1946. The film opens with images of German identification papers burning (:42). A civilian leads his horse and cart through the streets (:57). Resistance posters are seen on city walls (1:16). A farmer with a scythe rakes a field and looks up as a plane crosses overhead (1:38). The plane is hit and an explosion follows (1:44). Three survivors from the carsh -- Allied airmen -- approach a farmer in the field. He must decide what to do -- the threat of what could happen to him is shown through a montage showing a Vichy poster that emphasizes that the penalty for helping enemy airmen is death. Now the scheme to get them out of France is put into action. Members of the Resistance -- a business man and a peasant sit alongside one another on a park bench (2:54) and they are seen greeting one another again shortly afterwards on a dirt road (3:16). One shows the man fake identification papers (3:24). Meanwhile the aviators change…

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Details

Running time
13 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

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