A young Scottish woman joins the French Resistance during World War II to rescue her Royal Air Force boyfriend who is lost in France.A young Scottish woman joins the French Resistance during World War II to rescue her Royal Air Force boyfriend who is lost in France.A young Scottish woman joins the French Resistance during World War II to rescue her Royal Air Force boyfriend who is lost in France.
- Director
- Writers
- Sebastian Faulks(novel)
- Jeremy Brock(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Sebastian Faulks(novel)
- Jeremy Brock(screenplay)
- Stars
- Awards
- 6 nominations
Videos1
Rupert Penry-Jones
- Peter Gregory
- (as Rupert Penry Jones)
Mathew Plato
- Jacob
- (as Matthew Plato)
- Director
- Writers
- Sebastian Faulks(novel)
- Jeremy Brock(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe true story of Nancy "White Mouse" Wake inspired Sebastian Faulks' 1999 novel Charlotte Gray upon which this movie was based. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Mrs. Wake was "a truly remarkable individual whose selfless valor and tenacity will never be forgotten." Born in New Zealand, but raised in Australia, she is credited with helping hundreds of Allied personnel escape from occupied France. Working as a journalist in Europe, she interviewed Adolf Hitler in Vienna in 1933 and then vowed to fight against his persecution of Jews. After the fall of France in 1940, Mrs. Wake became a French Resistance courier and later a saboteur and spy, setting up escape routes and sabotaging German installations, saving hundreds of Allied lives. She worked for British Special Operations and was parachuted into France in April 1944 before D-Day to deliver weapons to French Resistance fighters. At one point, she was top of the Gestapo's most wanted list. "Freedom is the only thing worth living for. While I was doing that work, I used to think it didn't matter if I died, because without freedom, there was no point in living", Mrs. Wake once said of her wartime exploits. It was only after the liberation of France that she learned her husband, French businessman Henri Fiocca, had been tortured and killed by the Gestapo for refusing to give her up. She was Australia's most decorated servicewoman, and one of the most decorated Allied servicewomen of World War II. France awarded her its highest honor, the Legion D'Honneur. She also received Britain's George Medal, and the U.S. Medal of Freedom. In 2004, she was made Companion of the Order of Australia. She died in London on August 8, 2011 at the age of ninety-eight.
- GoofsThere are several train scenes but in most (not all) of them the sound effects, mainly the whistle, are those of North American trains. European steam engines had a very different sound. Even the sound of the tracks is different in Europe because of a different type of roadbed.
- Quotes
Psychiatrist: Of these three, which in your view is the most important: Faith, hope or love?
Charlotte Gray: Hope.
- SoundtracksBlack Eyed Susan Brown
Master performed by Phil Harris and his orchestra featuring The Three Ambassadors
By courtesy Hindsight Records
Written by Al Hoffman and Al Goodhart
Published by Keith Prowse Music Publishing Co Ltd
Top review
War is never black or white; it has many shades of "Gray".
In this evocative war film, we don't get the usual battle scenes or
soldiers etc ( such as Saving Private Ryan or Full Metal Jacket ).
We do not see the brutality and realism of death camps. We get a
refreshing perspective, showing how war affects everyday people,
such as Charlotte and the French villagers, and the two little boys ,
who we do not realise are Jewish straight away; just ordinary kids. This film works on a number of levels; how war forces people to
make unbearable decisions, such as Julien's decision to save the
children rather than his father. How war causes inherent distrust,
betrayal, and loyalty; bringing out both the worst and best in
everyday people. It comments on the fleeting circumstances of
love, and its fragility; Charlotte realises that because of her
experiences she cannot possibly love the English pilot; which is
what all of her motivation and desire originally was; war changes
people forever. Armstrong deliberately and cleverly gives Blanchett
the name "Gray"; in the process of the story she increasingly
becomes confused, guilt-ridden, distrustful; realising that war is
not the good guy against the bad guy ( an easy attitude for the pilot
who can just shoot down an enemy plane if it has German
markings, or bomb targets that are German...he was aloof and
"cold" because of this role, and Charlotte sees it in their final
meeting, after she had been immersed in the conflict rather than
flying above it ). War has so many shades of grey ( gray ), very
perceptively portrayed by the director; naturally, a woman. This will
be an eternal issue; carried on at this very moment by the
inevitable war with Iraq; politicians and those who brainwash the
military, if they haven't been already, can only see in black or white,
and will always face the consequences of this.
soldiers etc ( such as Saving Private Ryan or Full Metal Jacket ).
We do not see the brutality and realism of death camps. We get a
refreshing perspective, showing how war affects everyday people,
such as Charlotte and the French villagers, and the two little boys ,
who we do not realise are Jewish straight away; just ordinary kids. This film works on a number of levels; how war forces people to
make unbearable decisions, such as Julien's decision to save the
children rather than his father. How war causes inherent distrust,
betrayal, and loyalty; bringing out both the worst and best in
everyday people. It comments on the fleeting circumstances of
love, and its fragility; Charlotte realises that because of her
experiences she cannot possibly love the English pilot; which is
what all of her motivation and desire originally was; war changes
people forever. Armstrong deliberately and cleverly gives Blanchett
the name "Gray"; in the process of the story she increasingly
becomes confused, guilt-ridden, distrustful; realising that war is
not the good guy against the bad guy ( an easy attitude for the pilot
who can just shoot down an enemy plane if it has German
markings, or bomb targets that are German...he was aloof and
"cold" because of this role, and Charlotte sees it in their final
meeting, after she had been immersed in the conflict rather than
flying above it ). War has so many shades of grey ( gray ), very
perceptively portrayed by the director; naturally, a woman. This will
be an eternal issue; carried on at this very moment by the
inevitable war with Iraq; politicians and those who brainwash the
military, if they haven't been already, can only see in black or white,
and will always face the consequences of this.
helpful•97
- simondajo
- Jan 12, 2003
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- 戰地有心人
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $741,394
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $46,271
- Dec 30, 2001
- Gross worldwide
- $5,323,109
- Runtime2 hours 1 minute
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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