Résistance

This is a six part dramatisation of the fledgling resistance movement that grew up in France after the German invasion in 1940. It is told through the eyes of Lili (Pauline Burlet 'The Past') and her close friend and 'brother' Jeannot - Tom Hudson.

It deals with the escalation as the atrocities grow so too does the resolve of those fighting to free themselves from it. It covers the entire period of the War too so you can see the progress of what took place.

This is a very realistic portrayal, as far as I can tell, in that it does not romanticise the terrible struggle but shows how desperate it can be. 'Army of Shadows' is arguably the most graphic at doing this and some could, rightly, argue that this is deliberately softer. Still the point is made that there were many losers and some who lost in different ways – even the 'traitors'.

It is very well made too with some great period pieces and some wonderful cars. The limits of the production budget can be seen in the limitation of some of location shoots but none of that will detract from what is a commendable piece of television.

Given the excellent reviews this series has received, I must be missing something.

Yes, the production values were good, but the script was terrible.

For the first few episodes I kept wondering whether the writers were deliberately making the resistance workers seem incompetent, but eventually I realized that it was the writers themselves that must have lost contact with reality.

Some of the ignorance was simply a lack of research (e.g. even a casual look on Wikipedia would show that rather than exploding, Molotov cocktails work by spreading burning gasoline when the glass container shatters, but the characters simply rolled the bottle under a truck without even attempting to break it. Similarly, hand grenades have a lever that, when released, automatically opens and starts a timed fuse, but the characters were told to count to three *before* releasing the lever).

By far though, the worst writing was the way the characters would continually tell each other what they and others had done and were going to be doing. It seemed like they were trying really hard to ensure that no matter which one of them got caught, that person would know all the secrets of the whole organization. Can you imagine in real life someone telling you something like "Joe Smith is going to meet Herman Perkins, the secret head of the resistance, tomorrow at noon at Granny's Café so they can discuss the border tunnel they're digging in Smallville"? That conversation wouldn't have been out of place in this program. No underground organization could work like that, at least not for long. If someone doesn't need to know something, they shouldn't.

There are many notable films and TV series about World War Two, but this French series based around a young woman in Paris, Lilli, from 1940 on, is up there with the best. If you do not understand French and worry about subtitles then there is enough visual effort in this series to make it worth your while, and you really do not notice yourself reading the lower part of the screen after a while.

There are no winners in war, a point echoed by the script which does nothing to romanticise its message. There are moments when it is almost unwatchable and yet you have to watch because the screen compels you to. The acting is remarkable by any standards, the period captured in as close to authenticity as you can be. It is like a good book which you just cannot put down.

Highly recommended.

This series seems directed at a younger, possibly more impressionable,audience. Many characters are quite young and the story is a rather naive rendition of the resistance movement in France. To it's credit it focuses on the treachery of many French officials against it's own people and the bad Nazis are a backdrop. Although based on true events the central character seems a creation to link the stories together and she is it's weakest link. Played mostly deadpan she comes across as Mademoiselle Nancy Drew. "Young things do sabotage" might have been an apter title. Far better to watch "A French Village" for a more in depth and sophisticated look at occupied France.

I watched my dvd of this in 2 sessions and am very glad I did.

I had forgotten how good and how moving it was.

I don't get the hipsters on here not liking this,nobody says France won World War 2 but while there are resistance myths the resistance was not a myth.

I borrowed that from historian Julian Jackson.

In 1940 it looked like France was finished and Germany was going to win the war but some people swam against the tide of opinion.

Thousands of french people were killed by the Germans and their fascist allies between 1940-1944.

This drama was well done because it makes a virtue of its limitations of budget,it uses still standing Paris streets,there are few action scenes.

I can't find much to fault with this series,it is a bit sentimental at times but I can accept that.

I.