Renowned documentary filmmaker Marcel Ophuls, son of director Max Ophuls, has left an indelible mark on European cinema with his 1969 film “The Sorrow and the Pity”. The six-and-a-half hour masterpiece offers a nuanced and detached perspective on France’s collaboration with Nazi Germany during World War II.
Born in Germany, Ophuls fled to France with the rise of Hitler and later returned after the war. This unique background enabled him to explore the complex emotions surrounding French collaboration with the Nazis. The film is divided into two parts: “The Collapse” and “The Choice”, which examine the invasion and factional splits on resistance.
Ophuls’ groundbreaking work exposed France’s post-war self-perception as overly simplistic, portraying itself as a martyred nation. His film revealed a more complicated reality, tackling xenophobia, antisemitism, and human nature’s darker aspects. The documentary features an interview with Anthony Eden, providing a candid look at the British politician.
“The Sorrow and the Pity” is widely regarded as one of the greatest political films by French directors, alongside Jean Renoir’s “The Rules of the Game”, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “The Raven”, Louis Malle’s “Lacombe, Lucien”, and Claude Lanzmann’s “Shoah”. The film’s title is a thought-provoking reflection on the emotions experienced during the Occupation, sparking debates about the authenticity of French wartime memories.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/26/marcel-ophuls-france-suppressed-wartime-shame-sorrow-pity