Writing History: Films and Novels of the French Resistance

Writing History: Films and Novels of the French Resistance
Instructor: Christophe Corbin
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.ohio.edu/people/corbinc2
Class meeting times: twice a week for two hours
Principal objectives:
How do films and novels impact our understanding or, more precisely, our “vision” of France during
WWII? What do they tell us about the lens through which modern and contemporary France regards her
recent past? The purpose of this upper-level undergraduate course is threefold: first, to offer a better
understanding of France during World War II; second, to develop critical and analytical abilities; and
finally, to foster linguistic skills. Reading will be an essential component of the class: six books (including
five literary works) will be discussed in class. Speaking skills will be developed through in-class discussions,
presentations and two individual oral meetings. In addition, oral comprehension will be further enhanced by
watching and discussing five motion pictures. Writing skills will be improved by completing regular
assignments that require responding to analytical and critical questions.
Texts and films in order of discussion:
Aubrac, Lucie. La Résistance expliquée à mes petitsenfants (2000)
Vercors. Le Silence de la mer (1942)
Kessel, Joseph. L’Armée des ombres (1943) 
Quint, Michel. Effroyables jardins (2000)
Deniau, Jean-François. Un Héros très discret (1989)
Assouline, Pierre. La Cliente (1998)
Le Silence de la mer (Boutron, 2004)
L’Armée des ombres (Melville, 1969) 
Effroyables jardins (Becker, 2003)
Un Héros très discret (Audiard, 1989)
La Cliente (Boutron, 2004)
Selected bibliography:
Excerpts from the following will be available in a reader to be used for presentations (see page 2):
Atack, Margaret. Literature and the French Resistance: Cultural Politics and Narrative Forms, 19401950. Manchester: Manchester UP, 1988: 123-134.
Ezra, Elisabeth and Sue Harris. France in focus; Film and National Identity. Oxford: Berg, 2000.
Ferro, Marc. Cinema and History. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1988.
Greene, Naomi. Landscape of Loss; the National Past in Postwar French Cinema. Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1999.
Jackson, Julian. France. The Dark Years, 1940-1944. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Hewitt, Leah. Remembering the Occupation in French Film: National Identity in Postwar Europe. New
York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
McLaughlin, Noah. French War Films and National Identity. Amherst, NY: Cambria Press, 2010.
Paxton, Robert. Vichy France, Old Guard and New Order, 1940-1944. New York: Knopf, 1972.
Rousso, Henry. The Vichy Syndrome. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1987.
Schwartz, Paula. “Redefining Resistance: Women’s Activism in Wartime France.” In Randolph
Higonnet, Margaret (Ed.). Behind the lines; Gender and the Two World Wars. New Haven and
London: Yale University Press, 1987: 141-153.
Weitz, Margaret C. Sisters in the Resistance: How Women Fought to Free France, 1940-1945. New
York: J. Wiley, 1995.
Westerfield, Leigh. This Anguish, Like a Kind of Intimate Song: Resistance in Women's Literature of
World War II. Amsterdam and New York: Editions Rodopi, 2004.
Preparation and presentation:

Five books will be discussed in class. Students will read the assigned pages and answer the list of
questions given in class for each book in order to be ready to discuss them in class.

Five films will be discussed in class. They will be viewed outside of class either at home or on
university server at computer labs. We may also choose to meet outside class time to watch the film
together.

Each student will offer a presentation on a passage from one of the books discussed in class and/or on a
sequence of one of the films selected: Le Silence de la mer, L’Armée des ombres, Effroyables jardins, Un
Héros très discret, La Cliente.
Students may choose to work in small groups (three maximum) and will use an article of their choice
from the selected bibliography above as the basis for their presentation. More details about the format
and the grading rubric will be given in class.
Class participation:
Participation points are based on willingness to participate and quality of contribution during each class.
“Practice makes perfect”: class time should therefore be used as an opportunity to speak as much as
possible.
Compositions:
There will be a total of two compositions.
Individual meetings:
Each composition will be followed-up by an individual oral discussion with the professor. This is to be
considered as an opportunity to defend one’s argument and expand the reflection developed in the
composition. The conversation will however go beyond the composition and tackle issues discussed in class.
Written examinations:
There will be two written examinations in class on the works discussed in class and a final examination at the
end of the semester.
Grade Breakdown:
Written examinations (2)
200 points
100-93
A
82-80
B-
69-67
D+
Final written examination
200 points
92-90
A-
79-77
C+
66-63
D
Compositions (2)
200 points
89-87
B+
76-73
C
62-60
D-
Individual meetings (2)
200 points
86-83
B
72-70
C-
59-0
F
Participation
100 points
Preparation and presentation
100 points
2
Tentative Schedule
Week 1
Session 1
Session 2
Week 2
S1
S2
Week 3
S1
S2
Week 4
S1
S2
Week 5
S1
S2
Week 6
S1
S2
Week 7
S1
S2
Week 8
S1
S2
Week 9
S1
S2
Week 10
S1
S2
Week 11
S1
S2
Week 12
S1
S2
Week 13
S1
S2
Week 14
S1
S2
Week 15
Introduction to the class.
The Question of Obedience to Authority: Finding the Limit of the Acceptable.
I as in Icarus (clip)
France under German Occupation.
Discussion: La Résistance expliquée à mes petits-enfants. Read pp. 7-54.
Inventing the French Resistance.
Le Sourd grondement d’un peuple (clip), Le Chagrin et la pitié (clip)
Vercors : The Silent Way
Discussion: Le Silence de la Mer (1). Read pp. 15-35.
Discussion: Le Silence de la Mer (2). Read pp. 35-51.
Discussion: Le Silence de la Mer (3).
Presentation, and discussion on Le Silence de la mer (film).
First draft composition 1 due.
Joseph Kessel: Chronicler of the Underground.
Discussion: L’Armée des ombres (1). Read pp. 5-106.
Film report on Le Silence de la Mer due.
Discussion : L’Armée des ombres (2). Read pp. 106-209.
Discussion: L’Armée des ombres (3). Read pp. 210-253.
Presentation, and discussion on L’Armée des ombres (film).
Final version composition 1 due.
Written examination 1
Individual meeting 1
Film report on L’Armée des ombres due.
Michel Quint: the Irony of History
Discussion: Effroyables jardins (1). Read pp. 11-75.
Discussion: Effroyables jardins (2).
Discussion: Effroyables jardins (3).
Presentation, and discussion on Effroyables jardins (film).
First draft composition 2 due.
Jean-François Deniau : Manufacturing the Past.
Discussion: Un Héros très discret (1). Read pp. 1-60.
Film report on Effroyables jardins due.
Discussion: Un Héros très discret (2). Read pp. 61-140.
Discussion: Un Héros très discret (3) Read pp. 141-185.
Presentation, and discussion on Un Héros très discret (film).
Final version composition 2 due
Written examination 2
Individual meeting 2
Film report on Un Héros très discret due
Pierre Assouline: Forgetting to live.
Discussion: La Cliente (1). Read pp. 11-73.
Discussion: La Cliente (2). Read pp. 75-147.
Discussion: La Cliente (3). Read pp. 149-190.
Presentation, and discussion on La Cliente (film).
Conclusion.
Review session.
Final written examination
3