he Last Metro (1980) François Truffaut’s colorful picture post card from the Occupation giving us a dramatization of how the wealthy bore up under the inconveniences of war time shortages and interference from the occupiers and their collaborators while still exemplifying the show must go on tradition of show biz and in truth he makes a strong case for the importance of providing escape and a feeling of normalness to those who could afford the luxuries that were still available…for a price. Still while there’s no sin in being well off but at least a glimpse of how the other side lived would be helpful in forming an understanding of the times and Truffaut has written that the film was meant to be as seen by a child and he was between 8 and 12 then and if his Les quatre cents coups is any guide, he would have been well acquainted with the less fortunate. I watched the film with commentary by Depardieu and Azema who filled in details that might be not understood otherwise and especially at the end of the film, parsing the tricky question of where one stood maintaining a patriotic stance vis-a-vis prospering. Nevertheless, tho’ lacking in the sense of terror many films of the period exemplify, and leaving the historical aspects aside, the film is first rate as entertainment.

Marion Steiner(Catherine Deneuve) draws envious—or admiring?—looks. Is it the fur coat, the gorgeous blond hair…or the triumphant chapeau.