''Diplomacy'' (German and French: ''Diplomatie'') is a 2014 Franco-German historical drama film directed by Volker Schlöndorff and adapted from the play ''

Diplomatie ''Diplomacy'' (German and French: ''Diplomatie'') is a 2014 Franco-German historical drama film directed by Volker Schlöndorff and adapted from the play ''Diplomatie (play), Diplomatie'' by Cyril Gély. Set in Paris in 1944, it offers an imagined ...

'' by Cyril Gély. Set in Paris in 1944, it offers an imagined account of the efforts by the Swedish diplomat

Raoul Nordling Raoul Nordling (, ; 11 November 1882 – 1 October 1962) was a Swedish businessman and diplomat. He was born in Paris and spent most of his life there. Biography Nordling's father, Carl Gustav Nordling, arrived in Paris from Sweden at the end ...

to avert the destruction of the city by the German general

Dietrich von Choltitz Dietrich Hugo Hermann von Choltitz (; 9 November 1894 – 5 November 1966) was a German general. Sometimes referred to as the Saviour of Paris, he served in the Wehrmacht (armed forces) of Nazi Germany during World War II, as well as serving in ...

. The film premiered at the

64th Berlin International Film Festival The 64th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 6 to 16 February 2014. Wes Anderson's film ''The Grand Budapest Hotel'' opened the festival. British film director Ken Loach was presented with the Honorary Golden Bear. The Golden ...

on 12 February 2014. It was also screened at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2014. It won the

César Award for Best Adaptation The César Award for Best Adaptation (french: César de la meilleure adaptation) is an award presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma. It was initially awarded from 1983 to 1985, and then awarded again in 2006, when the original ...

at the

40th César Awards The 40th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, honoured the best films of 2014 in France and took place on 20 February 2015 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The ceremony was chaired by actor- ...

Plot summary

As the Allied Forces move toward Paris, Adolf Hitler commands General

to destroy the city. Choltitz sends engineering teams to demolish the city's famous landmarks and to overflow the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...

, led by Lieutenant Hegger and advised by a captured Parisian engineer named M. Lanvin. The landmarks targeted include the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde,

Notre Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...

and

Les Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides ( en, "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides (), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as ...

. The Swedish consul,

, sneaks into the general's office in the Hotel Meurice by means of a secret staircase originally built for a famous courtesan who lived there. He points out the loss of innocent lives if the demolition goes through, and asks the general not to do it. The general is not swayed and is determined to do his duty. Parisians start to revolt against the German patrols. Fighting fills the streets. Choltitz reveals that through its policy of '' Sippenhaft'', the Nazi government punishes the families of disobedient officers. Nordling tries to downplay its significance, but Choltitz points out that it was enacted right as he was promoted, meaning that Hitler has his eyes on Choltitz. Nordling offers the chance for the French Resistance to try to evacuate Choltitz's family. He confesses that he would not be able to choose between saving his family and saving Paris, were he in Choltitz's position. However, if he chooses Paris, the world will remember him as a hero. Choltitz relents and cancels the demolition. Lt Hegger tries to trigger it anyway, but is shot by Lanvin. After the fall of Nazi Germany, Choltitz serves a two-year prison sentence for his earlier actions during the Siege of Sevastopol. Nordling is awarded a medal for his persuasion of Choltitz in Paris, but he passes it over to Choltitz, recognizing him as the real hero.

Cast

* André Dussollier as

* Niels Arestrup as General von Choltitz *

Burghart Klaußner Burghart Klaußner (born 13 September 1949) is a German film actor. He received acting training at the in Berlin. Klaußner had engagements at Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin, Hamburger Kammerspiele and at the theaters in Cologne Cologne ...

as Hauptmann Werner Ebernach * Robert Stadlober as Leutnant Bressensdorf * Charlie Nelson as the concierge * Jean-Marc Roulot as Jacques Lanvin * Stefan Wilkening as Unteroffizier Mayer * Thomas Arnold as Leutnant Hegger

Critical reception

The movie was well received by the critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 93% of 45 critics gave the film a positive review, for an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's consensus states that "For filmgoers who value character development and smart dialogue over plot, Diplomacy yields rich, powerfully acted rewards." Brenda Benthien of kinocritics.com judged the "theatrical tour-de-force" was "a

Valentine A valentine is a card or gift given on Valentine's Day, or one's sweetheart. Valentine or Valentines may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Valentine (name), a given name and a surname, including a list of people and fictional char ...

to Schlöndorff’s beloved Paris".

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Diplomacy (2014 film) 2014 films 2010s historical drama films German films based on plays French films based on plays 2010s French-language films 2010s German-language films Films directed by Volker Schlöndorff German historical drama films Gaumont Film Company films Films set in 1944 Films set in Paris Western Front of World War II films French historical drama films Plaion Films about diplomats 2014 drama films 2010s French films 2010s German films