French films tackle war and fascism as crunch election looms

A year before a presidential election that could bring a far-right nationalist leader to power, French filmmakers release films set during World War II fascism. One major domestic production, “Notre Salut,” premiered at Cannes and received strong critical praise for portraying an ambitious local official after France’s 1940 defeat. The film focuses on moral failings and casual cruelty among people who worked with the Vichy collaborationist government. The director frames the story as an examination of how political movements exploit inner neuroses, failures, and resentments to push people toward collapse. The election context includes rising anger over immigration, jobs, and crime, with the far-right Rassemblement National polling strongly. Cannes politics also intensify through a petition against far-right influence in the film industry tied to media power.

"The most overtly political of a trio of major domestic productions premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, "Notre Salut" ("A Man Of His Time"), winning rave reviews for its portrayal of an ambitious local official following France's defeat by the Nazis in 1940. Called a "masterpiece" by left-wing Libération newspaper and widely praised by critics, French director Emmanuel Marre's film skewers the moral failings and casual cruelty of people who decided to work with France's war-time collaborationist government in Vichy."

""Never again!" Marre told the audience to cheers at the premiere on Wednesday. "I'll say it another time: never again." The film, based on letters by Marre's great-grandfather, invites viewers to look at "how political movements can play on our inner neuroses and make us tip over ... by using our failures and resentments," he told AFP."

"Like other surging populist movements across the Western world, France's far-right Rassemblement National, led by Marine Le Pen has tapped into widespread anger about immigration, joblessness and fears about crime. Polls currently show it having its best chance yet of winning the presidency in elections expected in April or May next year, having emerged as the biggest single party in parliament."

"This year's Cannes Festival, the last before the election, has become embroiled in politics after a petition last week signed by 600 film figures, including Marre, denouncing billionaire media industry mogul Vincent Bolloré. The petition called people to mobilise against "the growing grip of the far right" on the film industry under the influence of Bol"

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