While it may have seemed to be too far, the 80's were only forty years apart from the second world war's beginning. This, of course, didn't stop filmmakers to make movies centered around the heroes' struggles during this period, and France, with its history of collaboration and simultaneous resistance, had a lot to offer. Truffaut made the exquisite "Le dernier métro", Jean-Marie Poiré the hilarious "Papy fait de la résistance ", and Édouard Molinaro made his contribution to the genre with "Palace", which, while not being on the league of the previous two, was a respectable attempt at making an adventure film set in the second world war.
The plot revolves around two brothers, Robert, who is a prisoner of war in Germany and works as a pianist in a Casino, and Lucien, a resistance fighter caught by the Germans and transferred to a prison close to the casino. Despite Robert's hesitation, Lucien convinces him to try to escape, and, with the help of a German woman, they attempt to achieve their goal.
The director did a good job, and while neither his use of the camera nor his general direction skills were special, they were adequate enough to carry the film.
The actors, on the other hand, gave very good performances. Both Claude Brasseur (Robert), and Daniel Auteuil (Lucien), were convincing,and kept the film going. They essentially represented two common attitudes during the German occupation of France. Brasseur didn't want to be involved and just obeyed the Germans, while Auteuil couldn't stand his country's fate in the hands of the occupiers and tried to resist. This element made the film interesting from a historical perspective.
The music was also excellent. Composer Michel Legrand offered a very pleasing score of high quality, with beautiful piano instrumentals supposedly played by Claude Brasseur in the movie. They fit the film perfectly, and they can be heard with the same pleasure at this time, in contrast to his César-nominated score for "Paroles et musique"(1984), which in my opinion, has aged terribly and is as indifferent as the film itself.
All in all, "Palace" is a great adventure film that, while not deserving cult status, is commendable for both its plot, and its actors' performances. I highly recommend it to all fans of 80's French films, and those searching for films offering the French perspective of World War 2.
