Louis Malle’s forgotten masterpiece: ‘Lacombe, Lucien’

LACOMBE, LUCIEN (1974)

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

Long before he directed the classic American films “Pretty Baby” and “Atlantic City,” French director Louis Malle was a well established and respected film maker in Europe and his native country.

He made an auspicious debut with the 1958 thriller “Elevator to the Gallows” (available on DVD through the Criterion Collection, click here) and followed it with a string of successful films that included his 1971 coming-of-age drama “Murmur of the Heart” (also available on DVD through the Criterion Collection, click here).

But perhaps Malle’s greatest achievement came in 1974 with “Lacombe, Lucien,” the story of a teenage peasant boy in World War II France who, unwittingly at first, joins the French Gestapo – gaining immediate power and respect from Germans occupying the nation.

When the French Gestapo shows just an ounce of interest in Lucien, it’s more than he has ever received from anyone else. And as soon as he finds his place among his French collaborators, he complicates his life further by falling in love with a Jewish girl.

The theme of the lost innocence of youth has been visited time and again in literature and film – but not quite like this. From the powerful performances to Malle’s meticulous production design that beautifully recreates period France, this film simply can’t be beat.

Some critics found “Lacombe, Lucien” one of Malle’s least involving and most emotionally distant. I, though, found it Malle’s most fascinating and perceptive film.

Actor Pierre Blaise as Lucien Lacombe

One reason: Actor Pierre Blaise, a wood cutter by trade who Malle plucked from obscurity to star as Lucien. Despite the film’s success, Blaise returned to his work; he died in a car accident a year after the film was released.

Malle revisited World War II France once more in his 1987 masterpiece, “Au Revoir Les Enfants” – another coming-of-age story in which a young Jewish boy hides from the Nazis at a Catholic boarding school. “Au Revoir Les Enfant” no doubt packs a large emotional punch.

While “Lacombe, Lucien” is not as poignant as “Au Revoir Les Enfant,” the film still remains fresh and relevant today. Malle managed to create an incredibly compelling and complex film built around one of his most deeply conflicted and flawed main characters.

“Lacombe, Lucien” is available for purchase on DVD through the Criterion Collection. You also can rent the film through Netflix. “Lacombe, Lucien” is expected to be among the many films available for streaming this year through huluPLUS – keep checking the service to see when the title is available.

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