Safe Conduct

While there's an excellent 90-minute film buried in Bertrand Tavernier's portrait of French filmmakers working under German supervision during World War II, Safe Conduct unfortunately runs for 170. Apparently intended as an illustrative counterpoint to Marcel CarnJ's classic Children of Paradise (1945), which was actually made in France during the Nazi occupation, the film is genuinely interesting and touching while concentrating on Jean Devaivre (Jacques Gamblin), an assistant director to Maurice Tourneur (Phillippe Morier-Genoud) and devoted family man who becomes involved in the resistance. But Tavernier and co-writer Jean Cosmos pair that plot thread with another about Jean Aurenche (Denis Podalydès), a foppish writer who refuses to work under Nazi control and seems to spend most of his time cavorting with an actress mistress, while ignoring his wife. Tavernier's apparent desire to fashion a complex Altmanesque piece with intricately interlocking plot strands and numerous colorful characters has resulted in an often sparkling though muddled film that frequently drifts into tedious digression. Although it deals with a fascinating subject and is technically accomplished (making good use of archival film clips), ultimately Safe Conduct suffers from clumsy construction and excessive length. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)