Synopsis
A young Jewish boy living in Nazi-occupied Paris is sent by his parents to the countryside to live with an elderly Catholic couple until France’s liberation. Forced to hide his identity, the eight-year-old, Claude (played delicately by first-time actor Alain Cohen), bonds with the irascible, staunchly anti-Semitic Grampa (Michel Simon), who improbably becomes his friend and confidant. Poignant and lighthearted, The Two of Us was acclaimed director Claude Berri’s debut feature, based on own childhood experiences, and gave the legendary Simon one of his most memorable roles in the twilight of his career.
Cast
| Grampa | Michel Simon |
| Claude Langmann | Alain Cohen |
| Mr. Langmann | Charles Denner |
| Grandma | Luce Fabiole |
| Victor | Roger Carel |
| Maxime | Paul Prébois |
| Schoolteacher | Jacqueline Rouillard |
| Priest | Marco Perrin |
Credits
| Director | Claude Berri |
| Screenplay | Claude Berri, Gérard Brach and Michel Rivelin |
| Producer | André Hunebelle and Paul Cadéac |
| Music | Georges Delerue |
| Cinematography | Jean Penzer |
| Cameraman | Jean Chiabaut |
Disc Features
DIRECTOR-APPROVED EDITION:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Le poulet (1962), director Claude Berri’s Oscar-winning short film
- New video interviews with Berri and actor Alain Cohen
- Interviews from 1967 with Berri and Michel Simon
- An excerpt from “The Jewish Children of Occupied France,” a 1975 French talk-show segment featuring Berri and the woman who helped secure his family’s safety during World War II
- Original theatrical trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by critic David Sterritt, an appreciation of the film by François Truffaut, and excerpts from Berri’s memoir
From the Current
The Two of Us: War and Peace
by Jun 11, 2007As usual, François Truffaut knew exactly what made a great film great. For twenty years, he wrote in 1967, he had been waiting for “the real film” about the Nazi occupation of France, showing the French majority “who were involved neither in the collaboration nor the Resistance, who did nothing...
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