Un héros très discret (1996)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Jacques Audiard

Writers:

Jean-François Deniau (novel)
Alain Le Henry (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

12 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Les vies les plus belles sont celles qu'on invente.

Plot:

Set in France at the end of World War II Albert Dehousse finds out his father wasn't a war hero and his mother is a collaborator...

Plot Keywords:

Paris | Satire | French Resistance | Con Man | WWII

Awards:

3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Mathieu Kassovitz	...	Albert Dehousse
Anouk Grinberg	...	Servane
Sandrine Kiberlain	...	Yvette
Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	Albert Dehousse (old)
Albert Dupontel	...	Dionnet
Nadia Barentin	...	The General's Wife
Bernard Bloch	...	Ernst
François Chattot	...	Louvier
Philippe Duclos	...	Caron
Danièle Lebrun	...	Madame Dehousse
Armand de Baudry d'Asson	...	Englishman
Wilfred Benaïche	...	Henry Nervoix
François Berléand	...	Monsieur Jo
Philippe Berodot	...	Leguen
Gilles Del Frate	...	The Partisan
Stefan Elbaum	...	'Little Versailles' Man 1 (as Stéfan Elbaum)
Marc Ernotte	...	De Vaincourt
Jérôme Floch	...	Étienne
Isabelle Gruault	...	Lutétia, Young Woman
Donatien Guillot	...	Knickerbocker
Philippe Harel	...	Information Officer
Christophe Kourotchkine	...	Little Versailles man
Philippe Lehembre	...	Maître Becquard
François Levantal	...	Delavelle
Patrick Ligardes	...	Malbert
Clotilde Mollet	...	Odette
Philippe Nahon	...	The General
Yann Pradal	...	FFI 1
Bruno Putzulu	...	Meyer
Georges Siatidis	...	Beauchamps
Laurent Vacher	...	Maldoror Man
Yves Verhoeven	...	Boutin
David Fernandes	...	Albert (child)
Xavier Arcache	...	Jean Caron (child)
Éléonore Godeau	...	Little Girl At Kiosk
Thomas Vindevogel	...	Lout
Dominique LeMonnier	...	Violin Player
Anne Villette	...	Violin Player
Geneviève Strosser	...	Alto
Vincent Segal	...	Cello
Marc Marder	...	Double Bass
Emmanuel Strosser	...	Piano
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Françoise Gazio	...	Serveuse (uncredited)
Alexia Hugon	...	(uncredited)
Robert Isaac	...	American soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacques Audiard

Writing credits
Jean-François Deniau		(novel)
Alain Le Henry		(writer) &
Jacques Audiard		(writer)

Produced by
Françoise Galfré	....	executive producer
Patrick Godeau	....	producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Jean-Marc Fabre

Film Editing by
Juliette Welfling

Casting by
Florence Botel
Serge Boutleroff

Production Design by
Michel Vandestien

Art Direction by
Dominique Douret

Costume Design by
Caroline de Vivaise

Makeup Department
Mayté Alonso	....	key makeup artist
Dominique Colladant	....	special makeup effects
Joëlle Dominique	....	hair stylist
Eliane Gascio	....	makeup artist
Catherine Leblanc	....	hair stylist
Claire Nicolas	....	makeup artist
Marie-France Thibault	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Catherine Lapoujade	....	production manager
Frédéric-Guillaume Lefebvre	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Serge Boutleroff	....	first assistant director
Olivier Coutard	....	assistant director

Art Department
Emmanuel Maintigneux	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Jean-Pierre Duret	....	sound
Dominique Gaborieau	....	sound re-recording mixer
François Lepeuple	....	foley artist
François Lepeuple	....	sound effects
Fred Mays	....	post-synchronization
Nicolas Naegelen	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Grégoire Delage	....	special effects
Georges Demétrau	....	special effects
Olivier Zenenski	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Sophie Cadet	....	assistant camera
Laurent Hincelin	....	assistant camera
Jean-Marie Leroy	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Catherine Deserbais	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Isaac	....	assistant costumer

Editorial Department
Julie Clemencin	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Valérie Lindon	....	music producer

Other crew
Ludovic Boullet	....	staging assistant
Pierre-Conrad Chemeteff	....	staging assistant
Olivier Coutard	....	staging assistant
Jean-Claude Flamand	....	staging assistant
Mathieu Junot	....	location manager
Claude Luquet	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Alicéléo
• Cofimage 7 (associate)
• Lumière
• Studio Images 2 (associate)

Distributors

• AFMD (1996) (France) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (Spain)
• Artificial Eye
• Atalanta Filmes (Portugal)
• Paris Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Strand Releasing (1997) (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

A Self-Made Hero

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13

Company:

Alicéléo

Near perfect cinematic satire

Set in the period before, during and just after WWII, Jacques Audiard's brilliant and witty satire is about a compulsive impostor, Albert Dehousse, who so successfully convinces the French authorities that he fought in the resistance that he is made an officer in the army occupying Germany. It is not the easiest of viewing for non-French speakers who have to follow the sub-titles, but is well worth the trouble.

The movie's timeframe flashes back and forward; and director Jacques Audiard tells the story via a number of different devices, including normally acted sequences, voice-over, mock documentary interviews, newsreel footage, and even shots of the orchestra playing the background music. Mathieu Kassowitz portrays adult Albert as someone who is superficially engaging, but is empty inside, and has to consciously learn and then act out almost every gesture or emotional response. Like the film, Albert consists of disparate fragments, skillfully edited together into a convincing whole.

There is probably a pointed message here for the movie's home audience, about the way France as a whole has exaggerated WWII resistance, and swept collaboration under the carpet. But the film raises general questions about how we play roles and falsify our past histories in everyday life; it also reminds us that impostors, including some so-called celebrities, depend on our gulliblity for their success.