Entente cordiale

It was 1939 and it was the time for propaganda movies.Even Max Ophuls ' "De Mayerling A Sarajevo-completed In February 1940- was no exception: the screenplay ,based on Francis-Ferdinand 's morganatic marriage to countess Sophie Chotek- ended with pictures depicting WW1 and the rise of the Nazism (maybe imposed on the director).

They say that when "Entente Cordiale" was shown in the theaters ,the places were decorated with French flags and Union jacks .This "Triple Entente" between three countries (France,England and Russia) was actually double-edged and plunged the people in WW1.

"Entente Cordiale" begins under Queen Victoria's reign (played by a made look older Gaby Morlay ) but the venerable sovereign disappears quickly and the movie focuses on Edward THe Seventh's reign and the "Entente Cordiale" with France.Not a good Lherbier and a let down after his "Tragedie Imperiale" the precedent year.

A film featuring Gaby Morlay as Queen Victoria and Victor Francen as Edward V11 has to be a novelty and so this proves to be although, alas, a rather dull one. Based upon 'The Life and Times of Edward V11' by French historian Andre Maurois it deals with the not inconsiderable part that the King played in the signing of the Entente Cordiale in 1904 which although not an alliance as such, effectively ended centuries of Anglo-French rivalry and was intended to act as a counter balance to the growing hegemony of the Germany of Kaiser Wilhelm, one of Edward's nephews. Marcel L'Herbier's direction is rather uninspired and pedestrian while the 'Fashoda' incident and the romantic sub-plot fail to make an impact. It is Gaby Morlay and Victor Francen who provide the most telling moments. Although Victoria departs quite early on their brief scenes together are especially effective as these two excellent artistes play them not as Queen and Prince but as Mother and Son. The King's state visit to France during which he charms the birds off the trees is also very well done. Francen's masterful performance combines majesty, elegance and a roguish joie-de-vivre. This gently propogandist film dedicated to 'those who work for Peace' was timely as the world again stood on the brink of war following the signing of the Munich Betrayal. Although well-intentioned, well-acted and of historical interest the fact that for a film made eighty years ago to have only one other review speaks for itself.