French Film 'Rays and Shadows' Draws Over 640,000 Viewers and Sparks Debate on WWII Collaboration

Gaumont Television has produced 'Rays and Shadows,' a period drama directed by Xavier Giannoli that focuses on French collaboration with Nazi Germany during the German occupation in World War II. The film runs for three hours and 15 minutes and was released in French theaters on March 18. It has drawn more than 640,000 moviegoers, according to box office figures reported by Variety.

The story centers on Jean Luchaire, portrayed by Jean Dujardin, who was a press baron. Luchaire began as a pacifist militant in the 1930s and later became an influential collaborationist and propagandist during the occupation. After the war, he was sentenced to death.

Rather than a traditional biopic, the film explores moral compromises in French high society through Luchaire's rise and fall, as well as that of his daughter Corinne, played by Nastya Golubeva. Corinne was a young actress who entered Nazi circles and later lost her civic, political, and professional rights.

The film also depicts Luchaire's friendship with Otto Abetz, played by August Diehl, who served as the Reich ambassador in France starting in 1940.

Shadows' represents Gaumont's largest budget project since the COVID-19 pandemic, with costs in the range of $30 million.

The production includes detailed period props. Dujardin's performance has been noted in reviews for its prominence. The film adopts an immersive perspective, focusing closely on Luchaire and Corinne, including scenes of their physical distress.

It does not directly show antisemitic violence, deportations, or markers such as Jewish badges. ' The film includes depictions of brutality by Resistance fighters toward collaborators.

Since its release nearly three weeks ago, the film has received varied responses in French media, including newspapers, television, magazines, and social media.