DVD Review: Memoir Of War

I’ve long been fascinated with World War II and stories from that time. And these days, when our own nation is perilously close to authoritarianism and Nazis march openly in the streets with the support of our president, these stories feel even more important than usual. Memoir Of War tells an incredibly personal story of writer Marguerite Duras in the days of the Nazi occupation of France, and features a tremendous performance by Mélanie Thierry.

The film begins in April of 1945, as Marguerite waits for her husband Robert to come home. She watches the soldiers return, but does not find him among them. She tells herself he could show up at any time without warning. “Many such things do occur,” she says in voice over. And for a moment, she even believes he has returned, or imagines how she’ll react when he does. The film then takes us back to June of 1944, as Marguerite waits in a room where many other women are seated. We see soldiers escorting a woman out; this woman and the others remain silent. It is frightening, particularly how mundane, how orderly it seems. And the film doesn’t tell us precisely what is happening with these people. It isn’t until a man finally addresses Marguerite that we learn she is there because her husband has been arrested, and she has brought a parcel containing some things for him. The man tells her he’ll see what he can do.

I love that the film immediately immerses us in this uncertain world, its camera work and style (as much as its subject) making us feel as nervous as Marguerite must feel. As we try to get our bearings, we become attached to her, to her perspective. She receives a phone call, telling her that her husband has been moved, but we hear only her side of the conversation, and so must rely on her reactions for information. When she meets this man, a Nazi collaborator named Rabier (played by Benoît Magimel), who obviously has an interest in her, she begins a strange and dangerous association with him, in order – at least at first – to get information regarding her husband. Marguerite is part of the Resistance, and the others decide it would be beneficial for her to continue to meet Rabier. “Lie as little as possible,” she is advised. It is interesting that Marguerite does not allow herself to display too much emotion, even as she reasons that with the Allies advancing, the Germans will likely begin executing their prisoners.

The film keeps us close to Marguerite, in part through the use of voice over. These are thoughts that she also writes down, addressing them to Robert. “I’m afraid I’ll be killed. I’m ashamed to be alive. I feel if I don’t die, I’ll see you again.” It is eerie how in many ways life seems to go on as before, with children playing in one scene, the camera keeping them in the foreground, so that we view Marguerite through them. The film is suspenseful. And yet, in some ways Marguerite seems removed from her own life, watching herself get ready to meet Rabier, and writing her thoughts down, her life becoming a story, herself becoming a character. The film contains a lot of interesting shots. For example, when we learn of the liberation of Paris, we see Marguerite alone, on her bicycle, so that even the biggest events are brought down to a personal level, to her individual experience, separate from that of others. What is also interesting is that the liberation of Paris from the Nazis is not the film’s climax. In fact, it is only the halfway point of this unusual film. For the war is not over for her, as she continues to wait to learn of her husband’s fate. Even as the world around her – now so foreign – celebrates. The film tells a story that is powerful and personal.

DVD Special Features

On Image And Sound is an interview with some of the key crew members who worked on the film, conducted in French. The crew members are all in the same room together, rather than being interviewed separately. They talk about shooting the film like a documentary, without start marks or rehearsals, and with little direction. They also talk about certain scenes, such as that of the soldiers returning. This featurette is approximately nineteen minutes.

From Melanie To Marguerite contains footage of Mélanie Thierry rehearsing her part, delivering some of the voice over dialogue, receiving direction. This is approximately eleven minutes. The special features also include costume and camera tests, as well as three deleted scenes. In one of the deleted scenes, Marguerite tries to cut in line to see her husband, and learns of the Normandy landing. The film’s trailer is also included.

Memoir Of War was directed by Emmanuel Finkiel, and was released on DVD on January 8, 2019 through Music Box Films. It is presented in its original French, with optional English subtitles.