Cheap The Eye of Vichy (DVD) (Claude Chabrol) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Eye of Vichy

A nation without shame
Admittedly this film is propaganda produced during an occupation by fascist Germany, but it is very educational in explaining why more Americans were probably killed by the French during WWII than were saved by them. Including the Northern Africa campaign of serious battles where Allied forces were attacked by French military loyal to Petain's Vichy government, as well as the millions of Frenchmen who assisted the Nazi war machine in their munitions factories, there is no question that the French were more the enemy of the Allies than they would ever be willing to admit today. For anyone who thinks that French diplomatic treachery is a new phenomenon in the war against Islamofascism, they should see this film. No wonder Chabrol was widely condemned in France for shining the light on this ugly chapter in French history. It is something any nation should be ashamed of. But unfortunately they have learned nothing from their ignominy as well documented by their own propagandists.

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Disappointing, tendentious hash of newsreel clips
I can't imagine what Claude Chabrol's involvement with this project amounted to. Did he stand around and chat while others edited at the movieola? Did he look at an assortment of newsreels and pick out a few to give the compilation a narrative structure? Whatever, it wasn't much of a contribution. I suspect his name is on the package to give it credibility.

This is a predictably anti-Petainist, anti-collabo montage of newsreel clips from the early 1940s. The original footage was produced by the German occupiers and French collaborationists, so it would seem that both sides get to have their say. Actually we are given only one point of view--the Gaullist one.

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Great film for French class
This is a great video to show in advanced or AP French classes. It helps students better understand what life was like under Nazi occupation in France, and it affords a glimpse into everyday French life as it was in the 1940's.
The only problem I encountered with this video was that the audio track was malfunctionning - there was such an echo at times that it was impossible to understand what was being said - I had to return my copy of the video because of that. But I was so impressed with the film that I'll reorder another copy, and hope that it was just a problem with that particular videocassette that I had.

I would recommend this film to anyone interested in French life, in WWII historical data or in Nazi occupation of France.