Romantic drama starring Pierre Niney and Paula Beer. In the aftermath of the First World War, a Frenchman arrives in a German town, where he strikes up a friendship with the grieving fiancée of a dead soldier and the man's parents. What is the outsider's motivation, and why does he persevere with these relationships in the face of the extreme hostility of the locals?
François Ozon's most rewarding work marks new territory for the niche French director, who had previously never shot in black and white, nor used German dialogue nor depicted combat. Set in a picturesque German village in 1919 with flashbacks to the war that took the life of the eponymous Frantz, this moving and engrossing drama revolves around the young soldier's grieving parents and fiancée Anna (Paula Beer), and a lie that provides a release from their suffering. Entering their world is a sensitive Frenchman, Adrien (Pierre Niney), who lifts their spirits with vivid recollections of Frantz. Revelations unfold (or don't), and Anna and Adrien form a connection. While at times heavy-handed, the film nevertheless casts a spell with its controlled and affecting performances, and a Hitchcockian sense of romanticism and ambiguity; even the score recalls Vertigo. Loosely based on Ernst Lubitsch's 1932 drama Broken Lullaby (known in the UK as The Man I Killed), the doom-laden but never depressing movie was showered with 11 César nominations, but alas won none.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Adrien Rivoire | Pierre Niney |
| Anna | Paula Beer |
| Dr Hans Hoffmeister | Ernst Stotzner |
| Magda Hoffmeister | Marie Gruber |
| Kreutz | Johann von Bülow |
| Frantz Hoffmeister | Anton von Lucke |
| Fanny | Alice de Lencquesaing |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | François Ozon |
