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Charlotte Gray (2004) - identity and change in war-time

Updated: Mar 14, 2020

What sort of film ? A serious feature-drama, with suspense, personal history and some action-adventure. Based on novel by Sebastian Faulks.

Plot: A young Scotswoman, Charlotte Gray (played by Cate Blanchett) is recruited by British secret services to operate under a pseudonym in occupied France, to support the Resistance. She has her own reasons for going, to find a friend lost in France. While there, she becomes embroiled in the complex politics and operations of occupied France, passing messages, sabotage missions and protecting Jews.

Comment: Really good: historical reconstruction and acting all round. An eye-opener about life in occupied France.

Theme: Essentially it's a portrait of life in occupied France. But it is also looking at how war changes people's lives and experiences and ultimately who they are. Charlotte Gray's pseudonym is a symbol of how, in a sense, she became a different person.

Notable feature: The very last line of the film is great: dramatic and moving.

Verdict: 4/5

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