Assignment in Brittany

This picture has the look and feel of a British film of the period, probably because it includes mainly actors who spent WWII in Hollywood under contract to MGM. Jean-Pierre Aumont and his colleagues show their previous training on stage through too large gestures and reactions. Also, the acting often looks as if war were a lot of fun.

Aumont is incredibly handsome but seems wasted in this two-dimensional portrayal of a Free French warrior. The picture no doubt bolstered the spirits of his fans, dramatizing the efforts of the Free French at a crucial time in history. Any authenticity in his character comes from the knowledge that he did indeed serve with the Free French, for which he was later decorated by the French government.

The best acting in the film is by the naturalistic Susan Peters and the classically trained Margaret Wycherly.

Nevertheless, the picture is worth seeing for its place in the history of movie making.

This is a wartime film obviously intended to bolster the public's resolve. It stars a French expatriate, Jean-Pierre Aumont, who came to Hollywood when his country fell to the Germans. Unfortunately, not too many other French actors were available...and those who SHOULD have had French accents never even tried. So, it's all a bit strange with Aumont the only French person in a film set in a France where everyone has American and British accents!! Just suspend your sense of disbelief and watch.

The story is a bit silly but enjoyable. It seems that a French agent cannot go back to his native land for an assignment due to an injury. But, they manage to find a Free-French officer, Pierre (Aumont) who looks a lot like him. And, after a bit of plastic surgery, voila...the man has a double who will do the assignment for him! His job is to locate the secret German submarine bases so they can be destroyed. And, until he locates them, Pierre is to assume the other man's life...living withe man's mother and interacting with his friends.

The story that follows is rather typical of a wartime film. However, the Germans are not quite as monstrous as they often were in WWII- era films--as the filmmakers were going more for realism in this instance. Overall, it's enjoyable but a tad dumb. Turn off the part of your brain that questions silly plot lines and you'll no doubt enjoy this generally well made film.

Jean-Pierre Aumont, Susan Peters, Signe Hasso, and Margaret Wycherly star in "Assignment in Brittany," a 1943 film.

The story concerns a young man, Capt. Pierre Matard (Aumont), who is sent to France because he is a lookalike of an injured man, Bertrand Corlay (also Aumont) hospitalized in London. The British need to location of a port in Brittany that has destroyed a lot of British ships. Pierre goes to France and impersonates Corlay.

Matard knows a great many facts about Corlay but nothing of his cold personality and the fact that he has been playing ball with the Nazis. Bertrand's mother catches on fairly quickly; his girlfriend (Susan Peters) is slower on the draw. Corlay also has a mistress (Hasso), which comes as a surprise. He works with the Free French, all the while trying to keep himself and others out of danger.

The last time I saw Jean-Pierre Aumont was in a TV movie called Sins in 1986. He was 75 years old, and I don't think I ever saw him as anything but elderly. Well, boy, what a hunk he was - that beautiful mane of hair, glorious smile, good build - wow.

This is a typical black and white film about the war, showing the courage of the people in the French resistance. Everybody was good, and despite a critique of stage mannerisms on this board, I was frankly unaware of it.

It was nice to see the lovely Susan Peters as the shy but loving girlfriend of Bernard, who actually falls for his impersonator Matard. Only two years later, she would be in a hunting accident and spend the following 7 years in a wheelchair, until her death in 1952 at the age of 31.

Aumont actually fought with the Free French in North Africa. He was widowed in 1951 when his wife, Maria Montez, died of heart failure while sitting in a hot bath. He remarried in 1956, to Marisa Pavan, and stayed married to her until his death 45 years later.

Good movie, good suspense, and a young and vital Aumont.

Pierre Metard (Jean-Pierre Aumont) is a Captain in the Free French forces. He sneaks behind enemy lines to wreck havoc among the Nazis. He gets loaned out to the British. He takes on the identity of captured suspected Nazi collaborator Bertrand Corlay to find a hidden U-boat base on the French coast.

I don't know this actor other than a few roles which I barely remember. It is interesting to use a Frenchman. He actually fits the role. Some of this is very compelling, but some of it feels unrealistic. The last battle is big and Rambo-esque. There is one thing that really bugs me. When the girl starts singing, there are several cuts to each character turning their heads to camera. These are big dramatic hair-flipping turns that take me right out of the movie. It's one of those sour note moments.

Solid story, I think well done and paced nicely for modern sensibilities even. Dramatic scenes jump to quite harrowing action without warning, and play out realistically. A relatively simple, high-stakes spy/war plot, clearly resolved. Nice bits of play acting, being discovered, double agents, etc. etc.

Some here complain about the acting, but I thought it all worked great, and the supporting cast really held up their end; even people on screen for two minutes seem real, and to be motivated by actual emotion.

Not a great transfer, and hard to watch but I caught it on TCM. Nicely done sets, and mostly works within the confines of budget by keeping things indoors and at night. The few outdoor scenes (especially those in the day) are a bit lame in the backlot/studio way they were, but that's about the only flaw I can find in it.