The Tenth Man (1988)

Based on the novel by Graham Greene, this is a story of a French advocate Chavel (Sir Anthony Hopkins), who, while imprisoned by the Germans during the occupation, trades his material ... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Gold

Writers:

Graham Greene (novel), Lee Langley (teleplay)

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, Kristin Scott Thomas, Derek Jacobi

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Hopkins	...	Jean Louis Chavel
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Therese Mangeot
Derek Jacobi	...	The Imposter
Cyril Cusack	...	The Priest
Brenda Bruce	...	Madame Mangeot (Michel and Therese's mother)
Timothy Watson	...	Michel Mangeot
Paul Rogers	...	Breton
Peter Jonfield	...	Roche
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Elderly Clerk
Michael Attwell	...	Krogh
Jim Carter	...	Pierre
Robert Morgan	...	German Officer
Patrice Valota	...	Voisin
John Bennett	...	Jules
Alan Rossett	...	Prisoner No. 3

Storyline

Based on the novel by Graham Greene, this is a story of a French advocate Chavel (Sir Anthony Hopkins), who, while imprisoned by the Germans during the occupation, trades his material possessions to another prisoner in exchange for his life when condemned to the firing squad. At the end of the war, Chavel, posing as one of the other prisoners, returns to his house, which is now occupied by Therese (Dame Kristin Scott Thomas), the sister of the prisoner, to whom he traded his possessions, and who bitterly awaits the return of the man who had indirectly caused the death of her brother. His real identity unknown to Therese, Chavel is invited to stay as a caretaker, and to identify Chavel should he return to the house. The relationship between Chavel and Therese develops until one night, someone calling himself Chavel (Sir Derek Jacobi) turns up at their doorstep.

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Plot Keywords:

identity | firing squad | french | death | guilt | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Graham Greene wrote this when he joined MGM as a contract scriptwriter in 1944. It sat in their archives until it was discovered in the early 1980s, and was originally intended to be a major cinema release.

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Goofs

Although both French and German characters speak British English, at the end of lunch in a restaurant Chavel (played by Anthony Hopkins) asks the waiter for the 'check'. The word is unknown in the UK.

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Quotes

Jean Louis Chavel: Mangeot, listen to me, I won't let you do it. I don't want to die, God knows I don't want to die! But I can't, you've got a family.
Michel Mangeot: Yes. But in my family when we say we're going to do something, we do it. It's too late, we did a deal.

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Connections

Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

User Reviews

Great story, great acting, but feels like an 80s made-for-tv movie (which it is)

"The Tenth Man" is a screen adaptation of the powerful novel by Graham Green. Set in 1940s France at the time of the Nazi occupation and its aftermath, it tells the story of a man who does something despicable to save himself and later comes face to face with those whom he wronged. It's a great story with excellent acting by Anthony Hopkins and Kristen Scott Thomas, and well worth watching. However, you should bear in mind that this was a made-for-tv movie in 1988 for the Hallmark Channel.

This means its presentation suffers from a lot of dated clichés, such as a saccharine Hallmark Channel musical score that often detracts from the powerful acting, bright lighting & sets which give it a slightly cheap look, and it also feels a bit rushed in pace, not giving the dramatic moments enough time to sink in. But if you can overlook these small flaws, the story and acting will sweep you away.

Though set during WW2, this is not a war movie, there isn't much violence, and when there is violence it's handled in a safe PG-13 way. This is mostly a sentimental film that focuses on the characters' feelings more than action and plot twists. The plot does get twisty toward the end, bordering on crime thriller, but really this movie is more for people who enjoy slow, nostalgic films with themes of regret, forgiveness, morality and a dash of romance.

I would compare this film to "Somewhere in Time" (1980) though the stories are nothing alike; they both share the same sentimental vibe, a bit syrupy in presentation but with first class acting and a great story.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Tenth Man (#38.1)

Filming Locations:

France

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Entertainment Production, Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions, MGM Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1