The Patriots

There is a genre of drama that walks a fine line between fact and fiction. The classic films Compulsion and Inherit the Wind are but two examples of such dramas. The first spun a tale that in many ways resembles the celebrated Leopold-Loeb case involving the "thrill" murder of Bobby Franks in Chicago in the 1920s. The other concerns the famous Scopes "monkey" trial in Dayton, Tennessee during the same period. Ironically, both defendants were represented by attorney Clarence Darrow.

Les Patriotes includes such a plot aspect in its second half, as it relates the story of an American husband and wife (Richard Masur and Nancy Allen), who become ensnared in an effort by the husband to share US secret information with Israel via involvement with its secret police---the Mossad. The story is complex and is built upon a dense yet realistic narrative. It seems clear that the couple are really stand-ins for the unidentifird famous (or as some believe infamous) real-life Jonathan Pollards.

In this respect, Les Patriotes bears a resemblance to an acclaimed series of semi-documentary "fact/fiction" movies made by 20th Century-Fox in the late 1940s (Boomerang, House on 92nd St., Call Northside 777, Mister 880, etc.). Those films incorporated an emphasized sense of realism through use of rare (for that time) location shooting and a more naturalistic acting style. A difference between the two may rest in the fact that the Fox movies told their gritty black and white stories in a relatively crisp amount of running time, whereas Les Patriotes took considerably longer to develop its colorful labyrinthian plot---and also took advantage of freedom from prior censorship restrictions in doing so.

Les Patriotes is a thrilling film that cleverly blends fact and fiction in a way that actually is similar to those highly successful Fox releases of the late 1940s. At times, we seem to be standing in the same uncomfortable shoes worn by our principal Mossad agent as he gradually accumulates the layers of experience required to assume even greater responsibilities working in the dangerous and murky world of spying and espionage. The rather subtle plot devices used to illustrate the complexities of our hero's constricted personal life are interesting and at times even somewhat (surprisingly) humorous.

This film may have to be seen more than once to fully grasp all of its elements, but the journey seems well worth it.

This movie can serve as a gold standard for the spy-movie genre. It depicts in unglamorous ways, the life, the torment and catharsis of an intelligence officer. The cast is superb, but it's really director (Rochant) and lead actor (Attal) who are making the powerful and excellent case of what does it mean to work for the state. This case done in subtle tones(Yvan Attal's character rarely speaks), in demonstrating the complex political situation Israel finds itself in constraint manner, and by introducing such a vivid female character, that the viewer (at least male's half) can understand the inner battle of Mossad's officer soul

Les Patriotes tells the story of a young Jewish Frenchman who decides to emigrate in Israel in order to join the famous Mossad. I don't think the scriptwriters intended to reveal us the truth about the world's most secret service (who can claim to really have solid informations about that?). Yet they wrote an excellent screenplay, worth the best spy movies. Les Patriotes is an exciting description of the daily work of the spies. It is a beautifully-acted movie that doesn't show off and in the same time tells us a lot of things. It is a captivating vision of what a state manipulation is. So, if you have the chance, see it!

I picked this film out of the hundreds of foreign DVD's in Toronto's best video store - Bay Video. I thought it was a recent Israeli production and it wasn't until I got it home I realized the film was a French production made in 1994. However, I wasn't disappointed at all and consider this wonderful film one of the best spy 'thrillers' I have ever seen. Understated like the profession of spying and subtle to the point of seduction this film doesn't fudge the issues surrounding the necessity for such a service to exist in modern Israel nor does it gloss over some of the hard facts when innocents become collateral damage. The acting, the sets, the writing are all first rate and it's probably one of the best reasons to watch this film. I guarantee you won't want it to end without finding out what happens to all the characters.

the film is very good, frighteningly realistic, and it looks like a true story, with a few of the names changed, but the association is clear (see the character of Jeremy Perlman), the connection between the main character and the prostitute is masterfully acted, the end is excellent... must see it to believe it