Summary
April, 1937. Anton, a Communist Party member living in France, is involved with
trafficking arms to left-wing activists in Spain. He is captured by the Gestapo
but is subsequently released when is friend, Léo, head of a Communist network in
Europe, arranges an exchange. Anton is recruited in the struggle against fascism
but ends up being a victim of the Stalinist purge...
Review
L’Ombre rouge offers in insight into the brutal reality of European politics on
the eve of World War II, with its flawed idealism, irrational violence and petty betrayals.
Strong acting performances from Claude Brasseur and Jacques Dutronc give the film a hard-edged
realism which emphasises the injustice and danger of the period in which the film is set.
This is, however, a very difficult film to watch. Comolli’s experience is in making film
documentaries, and this is more than evident in this film, which lacks depth and character
development. Despite a few well-choreographed action scenes, the film is painfully
static, the absence of drama and dynamism rendering a number of scenes unintentionally
comical.
© James Travers 2000
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