Film Review

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Uranus
Directed by Claude Berri
Warner Home Video 10/91 DVD/VHS Feature Film
R - language

Uranus is a fine film directed by Claude Berri (Jean de Florette, Manon of the Springs) set in a small French village immediately after World War II. When two upstanding members of the community hide a man who collaborated with the Nazis, they risk their own lives as well as his. A crusading Communist and the town's wealthiest man have much at stake when a cafe owner is put into prison on suspicion of having been seen with the collaborator. This thought-provoking French film zeroes in on the ways in which the fabric of community can be ripped asunder by the destructive forces of secrecy, zealotry, injustice, hypocrisy, and indifference. It also seems remarkably timeless in its exploration of the pressures to be "politically correct" in times of social upheaval. A good share of the pleasure in watching Uranus comes from savoring the performances of veteran actors Philippe Noiret, Jean-Pierre Marielle, and the inimitable Gerard Depardieu.

Films Now Showing
Recent VHS/DVD Releases

Reviews and database copyright © 1970 – 2012
by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat