The Last Metro

"A story of love and conflict."

1980 2h 11m FR

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 536

DramaRomanceWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In occupied Paris, an actress wed to a Jewish theater owner must keep him hidden from the Nazis while doing both of their jobs.

“A story of love and conflict.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Catherine Deneuve
Marion Steiner
Gérard Depardieu
Bernard Granger
Jean Poiret
Jean-Loup Cottins
Andréa Ferréol
Arlette Guillaume
Paulette Dubost
Germaine Fabre
Jean-Louis Richard
Daxiat
Maurice Risch
Raymond Boursier
Heinz Bennent
Lucas Steiner

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: François Truffaut
Writers: Suzanne Schiffman, François Truffaut
Languages: French, Italian, German
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

46 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: French, Italian, German.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by François Truffaut, shot by Néstor Almendros. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Martine Barraqué shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu and Jean Poiret carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A story of love and conflict.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0080610 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

François Truffaut directs. Néstor Almendros behind the camera. Georges Delerue scores. Martine Barraqué cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in French, Italian, German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

146 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: French, Italian, German.
3Directed by François Truffaut, shot by Néstor Almendros. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Martine Barraqué shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu and Jean Poiret carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A story of love and conflict.".
8IMDB entry: tt0080610 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Néstor Almendros
Original score: Georges Delerue
Editing: Martine Barraqué
Production design: Jean-Pierre Kohut-Svelko
Costume design: Liselle Roos
Makeup / hair: Didier Lavergne
Runtime: 131 min · 2h 11m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: FR
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Last Metro (1980)

Awards

César Award for Best Actress
César Award for Best Director
César Award for Best Music Written for a Film
David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress
César Award for Best Actor
César Award for Best Editing
César Award for Best Sound
César Award for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation
César Award for Best Production Design
César Award for Best Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

François Truffaut

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-07-25
★ 7/10
Despite, or possibly because of, the Nazi occupation of Paris in 1942 the theatres and cinemas of the city are thriving. One of the most popular was in Montmartre and run by the Steiners. Now he's a Jew so they decide it best he leaves for the Vichy and the theatre in the hands of his actress wife "Marion" (Catherine Deneuve). Rather aptly, they decide to present a new play called "the Disappearance" and draft in "Granger" (Gerard Depardieu) to co-star with "Marion" under the director "Jean-Loup" (Jean Poiret). Now it's fair to say that "Granger" is a bit of a womaniser - but the object of his desires here, who happens to be the costumier "Arlette" (Andréa Ferrêol), wouldn't touch him with a flagpole. Their best laid plans as a troupe is to survive what's left of the war in one piece, and with dangers around every corner as well as rationing, they have their work cut out. As the story develops, we come to realise that both "Marion" and her co-star have secrets to keep and their make or break production will also be seen by the arch anti-semite critic "Daxiat" (Jean-Louis Richard) who could readily undo all of their hard work and see them all on the scrapheap. There's loads of chemistry here and François Truffaut manages to inject some dark humour into an environment that's admittedly riddled with fear, but that also presents us with some insights into the lives of these artistes who compete, contrive and contrast with each other in just about every aspect of their daily lives. It's a film about bravery, courage and determination - often found in the least likely of places, and Deneuve offers us a powerfully engaging characterisation that epitomises the concept of less is more. It takes it's time, so settle down with a glass of decent Malbec and you ought to enjoy some talent at the top of their game.

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