The Heart of a Nation (1943)

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Synopsis of The Heart of a Nation

Heart of a Nation was filmed in 1940, just after the Nazi occupation of Paris. The film traces the fortunes of the Froment family of Montmartre, from the Franco-Prussian war of 1871 to World War II. Comedy and tragedy are deftly blended throughout; Raimu's visit to the Moulin Rouge is as hilarious as Michele Morgan's loss of an arm during World War I is heartbreaking. When the Nazis became privy to the existence of Heart of a Nation, they ordered its director (Julien Duvivier) arrested and the negative destroyed. Both director and negative managed to escape to the U.S., where a dubbed version of Heart of a Nation was finally made available in 1943. Intriguingly enough, the man responsible for the salvation of the film was a German officer who happened to be a fan of Duvivier's work. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

82 mins

Complete Cast of The Heart of a Nation

Director(s):

Paul Graetz, Paul Graetz, Julien Duvivier

Writer(s):

Julien Duvivier, Charles Spaak, Marcel Achard

Producer(s):

Paul Graetz, Paul Graetz

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