La Resistance
To the Editor, Sir,-It appears that Jno. in his indignation at the ballyhoo surrounding the release of the film Behind These Walls has lost sight of the merits of the picture. Admittedly, the French are quite capable of producing poor films, but surely this is not one of them. According to your critic the film rarely rises above melodrama. Far from being melodramatic, Behind These Walls is an unusually restrained and honest study of human beings under stress, The mayor, the doctor and the little man with the peg leg are all highly credible people and their actions are truly in character. Their dignity and courage, thrown into relief by the hysterical cowardice of the collaborationist and the failings of their fellows, are one feels the characteristics that carried the French people through the occupation and formed the basis of the Resistance. The film has its faults — what film hasn’t-but these are outweighed by its merits. Sincerity and maturity so rarely appear in the cinema, it is a pity if our critics cannot recognise them when they
do.
C. K.
HERBERT
Wellington
(Jno. replies: "I don’t think I lost sight of such merits as this film had, but I did not find any more of them in it than, perhaps, C. K. Herbert might have found had it come to us from Hollywood or Pinewood.’’-Ed.)
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19480521.2.59.1.5
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 465, 21 May 1948, Page 33
Word count
Tapeke kupu
227La Resistance New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 465, 21 May 1948, Page 33
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in