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D'homme à hommes
1948 History / Biography / Drama
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Credits
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Director: Christian-Jaque
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Script: Christian-Jaque, Charles Spaak
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Photo: Christian Matras
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Music: Joseph Kosma
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Cast: Jean-Louis Barrault (Henri Dunant),
Bernard Blier (Coquillet),
Hélène Perdrière (Elsa Kastner),
Louis Seigner (Philibert Routorbe),
Abel Jacquin (Meynier),
Denis d'Inès (General Dufour),
Berthe Bovy (La mère de Dunant),
Maurice Escande (Jérôme de Lormel),
Jean Debucourt (Napoléon III),
Fernand Rauzéna (Le cocher piémontais),
Groenveld (Le docteur Basting),
Serge Emrich (Jean Kastner),
Sabine André (Hortense Schneider),
Georges Le Roy (Le président du tribunal)
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Country: France
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Language: French
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Runtime: 96 min; B&W
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Aka: Man to Men
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Summary
In 1858, the Swiss-born Henri Dunant is having difficulties managing a colony in Algeria.
He decides to visit the Emperor Napoléon III, who is currently in the middle of
a campaign in Italy, to ask for support to build a system of irrigation. Arriving
in the battle of Solferino, Dunant is appalled by the suffering he sees and immediately
begins to take care of the wounded and dying soldiers. With help from influential
friends such as the wealthy Madame Kastner, he finally achieves his great ambition in
1863: the foundation of a society dedicated to relieving human suffering: the Red Cross
Organisation. Dunant’s success comes at a cost, however. When it is revealed
that he used his creditors’ money in his philanthropic work, he is compelled to resign
his position in the Red Cross and to live the rest of his life in obscurity. It
is not until 1901 when, a poor old man, that Dunant finally receives recognition for his
good work – he is awarded the first Nobel Prize for Peace.
Review
Christian-Jaque’s account of the life of Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, is a
masterful composition, meriting a place amongst the director’s best works and a must-see
film for anyone interested in the life of arguably the greatest humanist that ever lived.
The part of Dunant is played to perfection by Jean-Louis Barrault, one of France’s most
accomplished stage and screen actors, who is perhaps best known for his leading role in
Marcel Carné’s Les
Enfants du paradis (1945). Barrault’s compelling and perfectly judged
performance brings great depth and humanity to what could easily have been a humdrum biographical
drama. Meanwhile, Christian-Jaque excels himself with his direction, whether it
be the stunningly realised battle scenes, the haunting, expressionist dream sequence,
or the quieter moments in which the film’s central character lives out his own personal
tragedy in order to achieve his humanist goals. It is a poignant and absorbing work,
charged with pathos and humanity, and a fitting tribute to a truly great man.
© James Travers 2006
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