Lacombe, Lucien
| Lacombe Lucien | |
|---|---|
 Lacombe Lucien video cover | |
| Directed by | Louis Malle |
| Written by | Louis Malle, Patrick Modiano |
| Produced by | Louis Malle, Claude Nedjar |
| Starring | Pierre Blaise, Aurore Clément |
| Cinematography | Tonino Delli Colli |
| Music by | Django Reinhardt |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox (USA) |
Release dates |  January 30, 1974 September 29, 1974 |
Running time | 137 minutes |
| Languages | French, German |
Lacombe Lucien is a 1974 French film that tells the story of a teenage boy during the German occupation of France in World War II. It is based in part on director Louis Malle's own experiences.
Plot
In 1944 Lucien Lacombe, a young peasant in the Lot region is refused permission to join the French Resistance. Instead, the opposing 'milice' obtain from him some information and recruit him. Lucien enjoys his power and inclusion as a member of the German Police but soon falls in love with a Jewish girl. Forcing himself upon her family, Lucien becomes attached to the very people he has been employed to oppress.
Production
Originally, the script was entitled Le faucon ("The Falcon") and was supposed to be set in present-day Mexico. However, Malle was not allowed to shoot in Mexico (nor in Chile), so he was forced to rewrite the script, giving it a wartime French setting. The script was then retitled Le milicien.
Because the main character from Lacombe Lucien is similar to the teenage milicien in Jean Genet's novel Funeral Rites (1949), Malle sent Genet an early version of the script and traveled to Calabria to confer with him about the project. Reportedly, Genet remarked that "films in uniform don't work".[citation needed]
Cast
- Pierre Blaise - Lucien Lacombe
- Aurore Clément - France Horn
- Stéphane Bouy - Jean-Bernard
- Therese Giehse - Bella Horn
- Holger Loewenadler - Albert Horn
Awards and recognition
- Winner: 1974 BAFTA Award for Best Film
- Nominated: 1974 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
- The film was selected by The New York Times as one of "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made."[citation needed]