Dernier métro, Le (1980)

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (scenario) &
Suzanne Schiffman (scenario) ...

Release Date:

19 February 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A story of love and conflict.

Plot:

In occupied Paris, an actress married to a Jewish theater owner must keep him hidden from the Nazis while doing both of their jobs.

Plot Keywords:

Hide Out | Nazi | Theater | WWII | Paris France

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 12 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Catherine Deneuve	...	Marion Steiner
Gérard Depardieu	...	Bernard Granger
Jean Poiret	...	Jean-Loup Cottins
Andréa Ferréol	...	Arlette Guillaume
Paulette Dubost	...	Germaine Fabre
Jean-Louis Richard	...	Daxiat
Maurice Risch	...	Raymond Boursier
Sabine Haudepin	...	Nadine Marsac
Heinz Bennent	...	Lucas Steiner
Christian Baltauss	...	Bernard's Replacement
Pierre Belot	...	Desk Clerk
René Dupré	...	Valentin
Aude Loring
Alain Tasma	...	Marc
Rose Thiéry	...	Jacquot's Mother / Concierge (as Rose Thierry)

Also Known As:

The Last Metro (International: English title)

Runtime:

131 min | France:133 min (director's cut)

Country:

France

Language:

French | German

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

Les Films du Carrosse

Trivia:

When Lucas talks to Marion about a play he saw in London, he is alluding to Patrick Hamilton's "Gaslight", which was twice made into a movie, by Thorold Dickinson in 1940, and by George Cukor in 1944.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In one scene in the cellar, during a conversation between Marion and Lucas, we can see the sound recordist hiding himself in a corner of the cellar.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in François Truffaut: Portraits volés (1993)

Soundtrack:

Cantique: Pitié mon Dieu

Latter, lesser Truffaut but not without its pleasures

Although Truffaut had another two films in him, in many ways The Last Metro looks as if it was planned as his last movie, even down to filming a deleted scene (included on the old Tartan UK DVD) where a dying director tries to convince Catherine Deneuve's heroine to star in his last film. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean it sums up his life and work so much as it feels as if the somewhat half-hearted screenplay has been rushed into production without being entirely thought through. Not that its bad – indeed parts of it are quite enjoyable – more that it tends to drift by like exactly the kind of 'well-made play' that he once attacked, with the romance barely developed and much of the interest coming from characters on the sidelines, such as Jean-Louis Richard's critic, collaborator and anti-Semitic propagandist. At it's best it comes over like a theatrical variation on Day For Night set against the German occupation (indeed, Richard was DFN's co-writer), without ever quite matching that film's emotional roller-coaster ride.