In 1944, in the southwest of France, the teenager Lucien Lacombe (Pierre Blaise) works in a nursing home and returns to his hometown Souleillac for vacation. His father is a German's prisoner and he finds that his mother is living with her master Mr. Laborit (Jacques Rispal). Lucien seeks out the local schoolteacher and leader of the French Resistance Mr. Peyssac (Jean Bousquet) to join the group, but the man tells that he is too young and will not be accepted.
Lucien returns to his job riding a bicycle and he has a flat tire. He arrives late in town and the German police bring him to a hotel and Lucien snitches Mr. Peyssac that is arrested and tortured. Lucien is invited to join the police by the Chief of Police Mr. Tonin (Jean Rougerie) and takes advantages of his new position. When Lucien visits the Jewish tailor Albert Horn (Holger Löwenadler) to make new clothing, he sees his beautiful daughter France (Aurore Clément) and forces her to date him. Later Albert is arrested and when France and her grandmother Bella Horn (Therese Giehse) are hold by the Germans, Lucien kills the German soldier and flees with them to the countryside.
"Lacombe Lucien" tells the fictional story of a despicable collaborationist in World War II. The brainless Lacombe Lucien is an alienated and wicked teenager without any sense of patriotism, morality, emotion, love or respect, and uses his power to hurt people. I do not recall any other film with a collaborationist in the leading role.
The wooden Pierre Blaise keeps the same expression along the whole film and I do not know whether this is intentional to show how alienated his character is or whether he is simply a ham actor. The conclusion is very disappointing. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Lacombe Lucien"
Lucien returns to his job riding a bicycle and he has a flat tire. He arrives late in town and the German police bring him to a hotel and Lucien snitches Mr. Peyssac that is arrested and tortured. Lucien is invited to join the police by the Chief of Police Mr. Tonin (Jean Rougerie) and takes advantages of his new position. When Lucien visits the Jewish tailor Albert Horn (Holger Löwenadler) to make new clothing, he sees his beautiful daughter France (Aurore Clément) and forces her to date him. Later Albert is arrested and when France and her grandmother Bella Horn (Therese Giehse) are hold by the Germans, Lucien kills the German soldier and flees with them to the countryside.
"Lacombe Lucien" tells the fictional story of a despicable collaborationist in World War II. The brainless Lacombe Lucien is an alienated and wicked teenager without any sense of patriotism, morality, emotion, love or respect, and uses his power to hurt people. I do not recall any other film with a collaborationist in the leading role.
The wooden Pierre Blaise keeps the same expression along the whole film and I do not know whether this is intentional to show how alienated his character is or whether he is simply a ham actor. The conclusion is very disappointing. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Lacombe Lucien"