Thanks for the memories!

Fresh and Exciting

Fantastic!

Blistering performances.

the lead character - one of the most seductive European capitals. the story essence- meeting of a two different men. the war as stage. and the dialog as a large, fascinating , dark labyrinth. one of films who remains for many of his viewers as a kind of personal memory. because not the historical accuracy is the important thing, not the real story. but the confrontation , the vulnerabilities of both, the clash between two worlds who are the same root. a film about people and his values. about honesty and about conscience. a fascinating film because it propose not solutions but only options. because it is not about the correct answer to a huge challenge but about the insignificant thing who defines each of us.

There's an old joke - how many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? Answer: No one knows. It's never happened.That actually comes up in this film, "Diplomatie," from 2014, based on a play. It's basically a two-person movie about the conversation Swedish consulate Raoul Nordling (André Dussollier) has with Général von Choltitz (Niels Arestrup).Germany has basically lost the war; the Allies are en route to Germany, and Hitler has decided to make Paris scorched earth, killing millions and razing the city to rubble. There was no strategic reason to do this. He was just feeling especially spiteful that day and figuring, why leave the Allies with this jewel.Nordling, a Paris resident, comes to ask von Choltitz to spare Paris. von Choltitz has never defied an order, no matter how he felt about it, and he is very dismissive of Nordling. He points out that there's practically nothing left of Hamburg - did those civilians not matter? He tells Nordling that the Parisians gave the Nazis Paris "with their legs open - like whores. We can do what we want with it." They go back and forth on this, and von Choltitz later admits that Hitler has gone off the rails. But there's nothing he can do - his family will pay the price if he doesn't do as he's told.This is an excellent film with superb acting by both men. The most chilling scene takes place in the beginning, when von Choltitz and soldiers go over the plan to destroy Paris. It's absolutely shocking. They go through every landmark, every famous street, discussing how it will be taken down, how the city will be flooded when they break through the river barriers. It's awful.I knew right away that Neils Arestup was not German - I could understand every word he said. When real Germans speak, I can't. He does a masterful job, so aggressive and cold in the beginning, and then gradually weakening. André Dussollier, with his quiet performance, is excellent in his persuasiveness.I believe the mayor of Paris and Nordling both visited von Choltitz. Well, we all know what happened. Here in the U.S., I think sometimes World War II has been glamorized a bit as it was not fought on our soil. And for many of our fathers, it was their first time away from home and their normal lives and, in reminiscing, for an 18-year-old who maybe went over at the end of the war, it was an adventure and the beginning of lifelong friendships. Sadly the outcome was not the same for all.World War II was filthy, it wasn't the propaganda movies trying to keep our spirits up. It was a horrible war that killed many people through bombing, extermination, and starvation. For much of Europe, the aftermath wasn't that much better."Diplomate" is just a microcosm of one man's efforts to stop the carnage. Definitely worth seeing.

History is a difficult subject to understand as it is not possible for everybody to remember numerous dates and events which have shaped it over a period of time. The arrival of cinema has been a great blessing in disguise for history as it enables people to have a better understanding of one of the most boring subjects studied in colleges, schools and universities. The field of cinema allows history to be faithfully recreated in front of viewers' own eyes in order to enable them to witness events which happened in their absence. Diplomatie is one film which finds its roots in the history especially second world war which was responsible for breaking many European bones. Apart from an honest depiction of war especially the debacle of German forces at the hands of allied forces, Diplomatie touches upon some key ethical questions too. These questions help us to understand the motivations of this film's leading men who respect each other to such a large extent that they do not mind hearing different opinions. For a film based on a famous play about the planned destruction of Paris, 'Diplomatie' shows itself as a fast paced film with the minimal provision for slow scenes. Director Volker Schlondorff has maintained his neutral stance as his film clearly eschews the custom of taking sides in order to hide a group's weakness. Finally, there is something for everybody in 'Diplomatie' as viewers are going to watch how close Paris and its inhabitants came to seeing massive annihilation and ruthless destruction from some very close quarters. Journalists also have a lot of learning ahead of them in the form of Swedish consul Raoul Nordling who did everything possible with words to save Paris from a senseless attack of high impact.

"Diplomatie" (2014 release from France; 90 min.) is the big screen adaptation of the theatre play of the same name by Cyril Gely. (Disclaimer: I have not seen the theatre play.) The story takes place on the eve of the liberation of Paris in late August, 1944. The German commander-in-charge, General von Choltitz, has orders to destroy all of the main landmarks of Paris (Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, etc.). Enter French diplomat Raoul Nordling, who tries talking von Choltitz out of implementing the orders from Berlin. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Several comments: this movie is directed by none other than legendary German film maker Volker Schlöndorff, yes he of "The Tin Drum" from the late 1970s. Who knew he was still around and making movies? Second, while on some occasions there are scenes shot outside, beware that most of the movie takes place in the room at the Hotel Meurice where General von Scholtitz is based, and it truly needs to be emphasized that this is a theatre play brought to the big screen, but still very much a theatre play. Last but certainly not least, the acting performances of the two lead actors (André Dussollier as Raoul Nordling, and Niels Arestrup as General von Choltitz) are nothing short of top-notch and truly carry the film."Diplomatie" has garnered rave reviews in Europe, and the screening I saw this at in Antwerp, Belgium last week during a recent family visit, was very well attended. Still, I don't know to what extent this success could be replicated in the US. For me, the movie was a slight bit too static to fully engage me from start to finish. But I would readily suggest that you check this movie out if you get the chance, and draw your own conclusions.