Between the Wars: Film Review of 'Frantz'

Film Review: Frantz - Directed by Francois Ozon

In the First World War, France and Germany lost a generation of youth.  France - over 1,150,000, Germany about 1,800,000 to 2,000,000.

In this mainly black and white film, circa 1919, we are led by the camera through cobble-stone streets and into lamp lit interiors of stone buildings in a small German country town.  In the town cemetery, lies a memorial for Frantz.  The grave is empty.  For the parents of soldiers killed in the trenches there were two cruel twists - the burial of their sons in anonymous graves, far from home, and not knowing how they died - "killed in action, "cause of death unknown", "missing in action presumed dead", "died of wounds at .....".  The streets are not only free of rubbish and traffic, but also free of young men.  At a ball, attended by the two main characters of the story, Anna (Paula Beer) and Adrien (Pierre Niney), Adrien is swamped by girls, anxious to dance with a male of their own age, even though he is one of the hated French ("Every Frenchman is the murderer of my son").  The adult population is consumed by grief for their lost sons.  Frantz is the deceased son and only child of Hans Hoffmeister (Ernst Stötzner) and his wife Magda (Marie Gruber).  Anna, Frantz's fiancée lives with the Hoffmeisters - a surrogate for their only child, loved as though she is their natural daughter.  Anna's days are spent in grief and mourning, daily visits to the cemetery and abandonment of studies.  A suitor, probably twice Anna's age, favoured by the Hoffmeisters, waits for her grief to subside.  Then she finds a mysterious Frenchman (Adrien), standing and crying at Frantz's memorial.  This is were the story begins.  There are two parts, the one beginning in Germany and the one ending in France.  The story contains structured, complex lies, illusions, pacifism, flashbacks, hints of homosexuality, suicide, and train journeys.  Although there are two uncomfortable scenes of patriotic fervour, the film is certainly not another tiresome, superior-than-thou, moralising, anti-war film. Praise be to the Director.  

Audience reaction: Not enough patrons to judge.  Show-time: Easter Sunday after 6pm.  We witnessed the shuffling exit of patrons (many) from the afternoon showing - to get home before night fall and I presume, to be in bed, circa 7.30pm.  An intro. for students of demographics, who may be interested in Graceville.

Now showing at The Regal Twin - Boutique Arthouse Cinema at Graceville, Brisbane AUS