Le franciscain de Bourges

Those were the dark hours of the Occupation in France .The sinister Gestapo was torturing prisoners -some of whom were still almost children-in a jail where a German priest was trying to ease their terrible pain.This man was a Franciscan Brother (hence the title) but he was above all a man for whom all are brothers .

This is German actor Hardy Kruger's lifetime part.He gives a restrained performance but he makes us feel his sympathy for these suffering people.As he is fluent in French,it's his voice we hear in this French movie.

Claude Autant- Lara ,who had tackled a highly topical subject at the beginning of the sixties (conscientious objection ,"tu ne tueras point"),made another courageous movie with "le Franciscain de Bourges":the French audience,twenty years after WW2,was perhaps not ready to learn that among devils there might have been good men.

This is a true story.It was filmed where the events happened.Hardy Kruger refused any fee for his extremely moving part of Alfred,a saint in a living hell.

I've seen Hardy Kruger give any number of subtle performances, but I've never seen him as raw and emotional as in Le franciscain de Bourges. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find a version of the film with English subtitles, so unless you're fluent in French, you won't be able to appreciate his performance. He plays a soldier in the Nazi Army, but also a Franciscan priest. When he sees the Gestapo torturing people, he does what he can for the victims (so much more than if he were just to refuse to wear his uniform and get himself killed). He sneaks into their cells at night, administers medicine to their wounds, brings them food, prays with them, and shows them compassion. In one instance, he risks his life by transporting a dying man back to his wife. In another, he brings comfort to two young kids who are forced into a truck containing coffins.

Because the film wasn't released in the United States, nor was it available in English, I wasn't able to get too much information about it. However, I did read someone else's review that mentioned Hardy didn't take a salary for this film. Because of his personal experience in the war, it's understandable he would be drawn to and moved by this role. He felt so deeply, I'm not surprised he didn't take a salary. If you do speak French, you'll not only see an incredibly touching true story but an incredibly touching performance. Normally in possession of quiet, charming energy, Hardy bursts into tears, loses his temper with his superior officer, and buries his head in his arms while crying. You'll never see him act this way again.