Assignment in Brittany (1943)

Masterful Movie

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This is a wartime film obviously intended to bolster the public's resolve. It stars a French expatriate, Jean-Pierre Aumont, who came to Hollywood when his country fell to the Germans. Unfortunately, not too many other French actors were available...and those who SHOULD have had French accents never even tried. So, it's all a bit strange with Aumont the only French person in a film set in a France where everyone has American and British accents!! Just suspend your sense of disbelief and watch.The story is a bit silly but enjoyable. It seems that a French agent cannot go back to his native land for an assignment due to an injury. But, they manage to find a Free-French officer, Pierre (Aumont) who looks a lot like him. And, after a bit of plastic surgery, voila...the man has a double who will do the assignment for him! His job is to locate the secret German submarine bases so they can be destroyed. And, until he locates them, Pierre is to assume the other man's life...living withe man's mother and interacting with his friends. The story that follows is rather typical of a wartime film. However, the Germans are not quite as monstrous as they often were in WWII- era films--as the filmmakers were going more for realism in this instance. Overall, it's enjoyable but a tad dumb. Turn off the part of your brain that questions silly plot lines and you'll no doubt enjoy this generally well made film.

Jean-Pierre Aumont, Susan Peters, Signe Hasso, and Margaret Wycherly star in "Assignment in Brittany," a 1943 film.The story concerns a young man, Capt. Pierre Matard (Aumont), who is sent to France because he is a lookalike of an injured man, Bertrand Corlay (also Aumont) hospitalized in London. The British need to location of a port in Brittany that has destroyed a lot of British ships. Pierre goes to France and impersonates Corlay.Matard knows a great many facts about Corlay but nothing of his cold personality and the fact that he has been playing ball with the Nazis. Bertrand's mother catches on fairly quickly; his girlfriend (Susan Peters) is slower on the draw. Corlay also has a mistress (Hasso), which comes as a surprise. He works with the Free French, all the while trying to keep himself and others out of danger.The last time I saw Jean-Pierre Aumont was in a TV movie called Sins in 1986. He was 75 years old, and I don't think I ever saw him as anything but elderly. Well, boy, what a hunk he was - that beautiful mane of hair, glorious smile, good build - wow.This is a typical black and white film about the war, showing the courage of the people in the French resistance. Everybody was good, and despite a critique of stage mannerisms on this board, I was frankly unaware of it.It was nice to see the lovely Susan Peters as the shy but loving girlfriend of Bernard, who actually falls for his impersonator Matard. Only two years later, she would be in a hunting accident and spend the following 7 years in a wheelchair, until her death in 1952 at the age of 31.Aumont actually fought with the Free French in North Africa. He was widowed in 1951 when his wife, Maria Montez, died of heart failure while sitting in a hot bath. He remarried in 1956, to Marisa Pavan, and stayed married to her until his death 45 years later.Good movie, good suspense, and a young and vital Aumont.

I can't remember the exact year, but my mother and I were invited to an evening at the Uptown Theatre in Toronto, Ontario for a special screening of Assignment in Brittany in aid of the Free French movement. It was a very exciting time for me, and Jean Pierre Aumont was there in person. I was 14 or 15 at the time, and I have never forgot the evening. Our tickets were a gift from a french teacher at the Cental High School of Commerce. It was a gala evening, in spite of the fact that war was raging in Europe and the Pacific. I was of an age when I was entranced by movie stars, and to see Mr. Aumont in person was a dream come true. I wonder if there are others who attended that show. Mr. Aumont was introduced, and spoke at length about the Free French movement, and encouraged donations to support them. I enjoyed the picture very much, as did my mother. There was a reception after the screening, where we were introduced to Mr. Aumont, a very gracious man. Perhaps it was the fact that the war had been on for it seemed forever, and the picture showed what ordinary citizens could do to help defeat the enemy. Certainly, although we did not suffer the devastation of actually being occupied or bombed, we were well aware of the loss of our dear family and friends. There were many films made about the war but this seemed special because of the appearance of people who had direct connection with the Free French movement, and we were hearing about it first hand.

This picture has the look and feel of a British film of the period, probably because it includes mainly actors who spent WWII in Hollywood under contract to MGM. Jean-Pierre Aumont and his colleagues show their previous training on stage through too large gestures and reactions. Also, the acting often looks as if war were a lot of fun.Aumont is incredibly handsome but seems wasted in this two-dimensional portrayal of a Free French warrior. The picture no doubt bolstered the spirits of his fans, dramatizing the efforts of the Free French at a crucial time in history. Any authenticity in his character comes from the knowledge that he did indeed serve with the Free French, for which he was later decorated by the French government.The best acting in the film is by the naturalistic Susan Peters and the classically trained Margaret Wycherly. Nevertheless, the picture is worth seeing for its place in the history of movie making.