The Sorrow and the Pity

Name: The Sorrow and the Pity
Genre: Documentary
Released: TODO_MISSING
Rating: 100

1969, Documentary, 4h 20m

28 Reviews 1,000+ Ratings

critics consensus

The Sorrow and the Pity narrates a painful chapter in France's history through an impressively rich mosaic of testimonies and historical archives, giving a complex texture to the struggles of a people amid tragedy. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

In the aftermath of World War II, the French clung vehemently to a belief that they--and their Vichy government--had resisted the Nazi occupation of France. However Marcel Ophuls' seminal documentary finds that when the small city of Clermont-Ferrand is examined closely, the myth of French resistance slowly begins to crumble in the face of overwhelming evidence that the Vichy government willingly collaborated with German forces, for reasons ranging from fear to apathy to blatant anti-Semitism.

Rating:

PG
Genre:

Documentary
Original Language:

English
Director:

Marcel Ophüls
Producer:

André Harris, Alain de Sedouy
Writer:

André Harris, Marcel Ophüls
Release Date (Theaters):

Mar 25, 1972 wide
Runtime:

4h 20m
Distributor:

Cinema 5 Distributing
Sound Mix:

Mono

Cast & Crew

Marcel Ophüls
Director

André Harris
Writer

Marcel Ophüls
Writer

André Gazut
Cinematographer

Jürgen Thieme
Cinematographer

Claude Vajda
Film Editor

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Sorrow and the Pity

All Critics (28) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (28)

Full Review… Philip Purser Daily Telegraph (UK)

Full Review… John Leonard New York Magazine/Vulture

Full Review… Kate Muir Times (UK)

Full Review… Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader

Full Review… Xan Brooks Guardian

Full Review… Time Out

Full Review… Robert Hatch The Nation

Full Review… Film4

Full Review… Philip French Observer (UK)

Full Review… Louis Proyect rec.arts.movies.reviews

Full Review… Douglas Pratt DVDLaser

Full Review… Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com

View All Critic Reviews (28)

Audience Reviews for The Sorrow and the Pity

Jun 01, 2007

I had always thought devotion to this movie was being made fun of in Annie Hall, until I saw it (and it takes a while to see it). The drama is amazing during the second half, with all you know about the characters from the first.

Adam M Super Reviewer
Mar 03, 2007

[font=Century Gothic]Directed by Marcel Ophuls, "The Sorrow and the Pity" is an epic documentary about the occupation of France by Nazi Germany from 1940-1944 during World War II, with the spotlight on the city of Clermont which is close to Vichy. The documentary starts out by being a damning examination of the French surrender and capitulation, leading to a collaboration with the Nazis that led to increased anti-Semitism, which may not have totally faded decades later. And in one horrific instance, the French authorities outdo the Nazis in cruelty. The bourgeoisie are portrayed as living their lives as usual during the occupation but the Communists who formed a good deal of the resistance are treated much better. Anti-Communist fervor was a factor that led the French ultra-nationalists to work with the Nazis.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]The documentary consists of interviews with English, French and German participants recalling their wartime experiences a quarter century after the fact. Most prominent of the interviewees are Anthony Eden and Pierre Mendes-France. Also shown are clips from Nazi propaganda films.[/font]

Walter M Super Reviewer