- Actors: Michel Simon, Roger Carel, Paul Preboist, Luce Fabiole
- Director: Claude Berri
- Disc Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: French
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: Not Rated
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: May 29, 2018
- Run Time: 87 minutes
Long before
Roberto Benigni combined the tragedy of the Holocaust with the comedy of
physical humor in Life is Beautiful, French
filmmaker Claude Berri made his directorial debut with The Two of Us. Groundbreaking in its depiction of a terrifying time
through the filter of childlike wonder, The
Two of Us is sentimental and heartwarming without ever sacrificing a sense
of realism. Few films are able to give this period such respect without relying
on heavy melodrama and tragedy, but even fewer are able to capture the humor
without ignoring the tragedy.
Loosely based on
Berri’s own experience during WWII, the film follows the adventures of a young
Jewish boy named Claude (Alain Cohen). Despite all of the pleas from his
parents, Claude is terrible at staying hidden while living in the city with his
parents. Worried that they will be discovered and sent to camps, Claude’s
parents secretly send him to live in the country with a name that sounds more
French. Ironically, the Catholic family he is sent to live with have
anti-Semitic beliefs. While this could have been an element of tension or
suspense, in The Two of Us it is instead
an opportunity for humor as the young child plays with their prejudices.
The person Claude
grows closest to is Pépé (Michel Simon), a
grandfatherly old man with more misguided beliefs than the rest. But Claude’s
childlike innocence allows him to see past these shortcomings, and the two
build a strong friendship together, even if some of that time is spent
discussing the problems with the religious group that Claude secretly belongs
to. Along with teaching him his theories about Jewish people, Pépé shares his
other life beliefs with the young boy. They are an unlikely pair, which is
where much of the film’s charms come from.
On top of Claude’s
relationship with Pépé, he deals with the local bullies, a schoolteacher with a
penchant for cutting the students’ hair for health reasons as well as punishment,
and a crush on the little girl of a local farmer. Even with all of these minor
sub-plots, much of The Two of Us is
episodic in nature, rather than containing a narrative with a more typical arc.
The 50th
Anniversary Blu-ray release of The Two of
Us contains an all-new 4K restoration of the movie, along with a handful of
new special features. This release comes on the heels of last year’s re-release
of the film, a trailer for which is included in the extras. There is also a
feature-length commentary track with film critic Wade Major.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7.5/10
Special Features: 6/10
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