Frantz (2016)

In the aftermath of WWI, a young German who grieves the death of her fiancé in France meets a mysterious Frenchman who visits the fiancé's grave to lay flowers.

Director:

François Ozon

Writers:

François Ozon (scenario), Philippe Piazzo (in collaboration with)

Stars:

Pierre Niney, Paula Beer, Ernst Stötzner

4 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pierre Niney	...	Adrien Rivoire
Paula Beer	...	Anna
Ernst Stötzner	...	Doktor Hans Hoffmeister
Marie Gruber	...	Magda Hoffmeister
Johann von Bülow	...	Kreutz
Anton von Lucke	...	Frantz Hoffmeister
Cyrielle Clair	...	La mère d'Adrien
Alice de Lencquesaing	...	Fanny
Axel Wandtke	...	Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel
Rainer Egger	...	Le gardien du cimetière allemand
Rainer Silberschneider	...	Le vendeur de la robe
Merlin Rose	...	Le jeune homme ivre
Ralf Dittrich	...	Adolf
Michael Witte	...	Gustav
Lutz Blochberger	...	L'homme du lac

Storyline

In 1919 Quedlinburg, Germany, a young woman named Anna is still mourning the death of her fiance, Frantz Hoffmeister, in the Great War while living with his equally devastated parents. One day, a mysterious Frenchman, Adrien Rivoire, comes to town both to pay his respects to Frantz's grave and to contact that soldier's parents. Although it is difficult for both sides with the bitterness of Germany's defeat, Adrian explains that he knew Frantz and gradually he wins Anna and the Hoffmeisters' hearts as he tries to connect with them. Unfortunately, Adrien and Anna discover the truth of his motives and things seem shattered for all. However, when Adrien leaves, Anna has her own struggles with the truth and her feelings until she sets out to find Adrien in France. With that, Anna has her own journey to make in more than one sense, even as they both realize that neither have easy answers to their complex personal conflicts with each other and the dead man linking them.

---

Plot Keywords:

germany | world war one | black and white segues into color | guilty conscience | reading a letter | 

---

Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including brief war violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook (French) Official Facebook (German)

Country:

France Germany

Language:

French German

Release Date:

15 March 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Franc

Filming Locations:

Görlitz, Saxony, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,500, 19 March 2017, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$880,474, 16 June 2017

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,723, 19 March 2017

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandarin Films, X-Filme Creative Pool, FOZ

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Pierre Niney was not a German speaker, so his co-star Paula Beer taped his lines in German and he learned them by ear, according to director François Ozon.

---

Connections

References Vertigo (1958)

---

Soundtracks

La promenade
Composed & Conducted By Philippe Rombi
Performed by Orchestre Symphonique Bel'Arte
(p) 2016 Cristal Records
Label BORIGINAL - Distribution Sony

User Reviews

brilliant melodrama

I go to the cinema to see often - two or three times each month - 'the better movies and no so commercial movies' and in 2016 Frantz was the best movie I have seen so far this year, by far! The brilliant narrative structure of this movie in black and white and the use of colour just at the right moments is something you should see for yourself. I like also the fact that the German people really talk German and that the French people really speak French. And with the black and with images you can feel yourself dropped back in 1919. François Ozon is such a diversified director. I have seen already his movies Sous le sable, Swimming Pool, 8 femmes, 5x2, Le temps qui reste and Jeune & Jolie. These are all very different movies. And as in all movies from Ozon he always tries to surprise us - viewers - with a twist in the plot. So the story line is never predictable, and in Frantz you never know what will happen next. All the actors we're splendid, and you really could feel yourself back in 1919. And the melodrama is the genre of movie I like so much.

This is my TOP 20 of (new) movies that I saw at the cinema in 2016: 1. Frantz; 2. Magallanes; 3. La Pazza Gioia; 4. An; 5. Juliana; 6. Tanna; 7. Hell Or High Water; 8. Les Innocentes; 9. L'Économie Du Couple; 10. El Olivo; 11. 45 Years; 12. Truman; 13. Carol; 14. Spotlight; 15. The Idol; 16. Slow West; 17. Eye In The Sky; 18. The Handmaiden; 19. The Hateful Eight; 20. The Revenant.