Tu ne tueras point (1961)

At the end of World War II, a French pacifist is arrested for refusing to fight. In prison, he befriends a German priest arrested for murder of a French Resistance fighter. They discuss morality, obedience, and religion.

Director:

Claude Autant-Lara

Writers:

Jean Aurenche, Pierre Bost

Stars:

Laurent Terzieff, Horst Frank, Mica Orlovic

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurent Terzieff	...	Zan Fransoa Kordije (as Loran Terzijev)
Horst Frank	...	Adler
Mica Orlovic	...	Major
Marijan Lovric	...	Kapetan (as Marjan Lovric)
Suzanne Flon	...	Kordijeova majka (as Sizan Flon)
Ivo Jaksic	...	Iguman u manastiru
Vladeta Dragutinovic	...	Stajn
Petar Banicevic	...	Rober
Jovan Gec	...	General u zatvoru
Zoran Milosavljevic	...	Zarobljeni partizan
Zvonko Jovcic	...	Pukovnik
Aleksandar Stojkovic	...	Kapetanov posilni
Ljubisa Jocic	...	Mil
Milivoje Popovic-Mavid	...	Advokat
Slobodan Simic	...	Predsednik suda

Storyline

At the end of World War II, a French pacifist is arrested for refusing to fight. In prison, he befriends a German priest arrested for murder of a French Resistance fighter. They discuss morality, obedience, and religion.

---

Plot Keywords:

french resistance | religion | obedience | morality | murder | 

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Details

Country:

France Italy Yugoslavia

Language:

French Serbo-Croatian German

Release Date:

26 July 1961 (Yugoslavia)

Also Known As:

L'objecteur

Filming Locations:

Yugoslavia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gold Film,Lovcen Film,Vaduz Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

148 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The French government refused to help financing the movie because of its pacifist anti-war message, since France was at the time heavily involved in the bloody Algerian War of independence. The budget was finally secured when the Yugoslavian government agreed to pitch in. The movie premiered at the 1961 Venice Film Festival as a Yugoslavian entry, since the French government still wanted nothing to do with it and eventually banned the release of the film in France until 1963, a year after the Algerian War had ended. The French press gave the movie mostly poor reviews.

---

Connections

Referenced in Les échos du cinéma: Episode #1.39 (1962)

User Reviews

Thou shalt not kill.

France,early sixties:the Algerian war is coming to an end but not before 1962;pacifist Louis Lecoin is on a hunger strike in order to get the status of conscientious objector for all men who refuse to make war.The general de Gaulle will finally agree,but only when the war is over.

A voice rises;it does not come from the ranks of the nouvelle vague,no,it's an "old" director,Claude Autant-Lara,whose mother had been an active pacifist during WW1(an actress,she was thrown out from the comédie française for her ideas).Laurent Terzieff-the part was first intended for Gérard Philippe,who was keen on it,but he died before - plays the part of a young man who refuses to be drafted,because of his religious beliefs. He is abetted by his mother(a wonderful Suzanne Flon).

This might be the most difficult French movie to find and see.Never broadcast on TV ,it seems to scare everybody .

"These academic old hat directors gotta get away",the new wave was ceaselessly yelling.Not one among them had the guts to tackle such a responsible hard subject.