De Gaulle and Churchill: The Appeal of June 1940

Originally aired on the French television series Ce jour là, tout a change—devoted to recreations of significant historical events—this 2010 docudrama focuses on the 10 days between June 7 and June 17, 1940, when the last ministry of the Third Republic—headed by Prime Minister Paul Reynaud—debated whether to fight on in the face of German advances or seek an immediate armistice. The story is told from the perspective of General Charles De Gaulle, recently-appointed Minister of War, who argues forcefully against accepting German terms and is sent to England to negotiate with Prime Minister Winston Churchill about securing English military assistance to bolster the crumbling French lines. De Gaulle's nemesis is the aging Deputy Prime Minister Henri Pétain, who would eventually outmaneuver De Gaulle, sign the cease-fire with Hitler, and lead the collaborationist Vichy regime. Obviously drawing on De Gaulle's memoirs, the film presents him as a hero who becomes the voice of French resistance, although as portrayed by Michel Vuillermoz he comes across as a rigid, priggish sort who must learn the art of politics from Churchill (Christian Rodska in a cannily exuberant scene-stealing performance). Using archival footage to supplement the mostly stage-bound exposition, Felix Olivier's film clearly contains a patriotic message, but balances it fairly well with historical accuracy, offering an intriguing snapshot of one of the lesser-known episodes of World War II. Recommended. (F. Swietek)