A Self-Made Hero

In the restless aftermath of World II, a small French town clings to the lingering shadows of its past while the world beyond its cobbled streets teems with possibility. The film opens on Albert Dehousse, a disenchanted youth whose curiosity about his family’s hidden truths propels him away from the familiar. The story is told in a present‑tense cadence, punctuated by later interview fragments that let the adult Albert look back on his younger self with a mixture of pride, doubt, and yearning. This narrative texture creates an atmosphere that feels both immediate and reflective, drawing the viewer into a France that is still rebuilding, still questioning what heroism truly means.

Albert’s journey begins with quiet rebellion against the modest expectations of his provincial life. A tender romance with Anouk Grinberg—the daughter of a local craftsman—offers a fleeting sense of belonging, yet their bond also becomes a catalyst for his restless ambition. When liberation arrives, he leaves the town for Paris, a city portrayed as a vibrant, chaotic mosaic of cafés, street‑corner hustlers, and whispered lessons about survival. The capital’s electric pulse mirrors Albert’s own craving for recognition, setting the stage for his immersion in the clandestine world of the French Resistance.

Within that covert network, Albert discovers a language of bravery that he both reveres and mimics. His desire to be seen as a hero drives him to craft stories that blur the line between fact and fiction, a motif that the film handles with a wry, almost lyrical tone. The mood oscillates between the gritty realism of post‑war France and the dreamy, sometimes unreliable recollections of a man trying to shape his own legend. As the narrative unfolds, it invites the audience to wonder whether true valor lies in deeds performed or in the narratives we choose to tell ourselves.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 13:11