Maybe it's because I'm Jewish or something but I don't think France's character not only did not look Jewish, but she really did not seem to endure terrible treatment from anyone. All those men were all over her at that party, some remarked on her beauty as if she was "the exception", she was okay to have around. Probably so because she was an Aryan Jew. If her father was not the Gestapo's tailor, and Lucien brought her anyway, I doubt anyone would have known she was Jewish at all. That being said unless she had a huge gold star of David on her sleeve, I don't think there was any intention by him of trying to send her to a concentration camp, or cause a stir.
I don't think Lucien's character was of malice or anything evil. Just someone who is easily influenced by others. I mean, look at kids who join gangs in the modern world, are they "evil" for trying to fit in, and are not unable to think for themselves? Sure, they're stupid for getting themselves caught in a bad group, but they're just lost, and I think the same for Lucien. Maybe this is true for all people involved in the Holocaust. People get caught up and loose themselves, forget who they are, doesn't mean it defines them as a person. Hitler was insane so there's no exception there. I think once you join a group like the Gestapo it's kind of hard to turn away from, because they'd probably kill you, because they'd presume you want to join the French Resistance. Maybe that's why Lucien stayed?
"And then I was being chased my an improperly filled in bubble screaming 'None of the above!' ".
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pol96-1
13 years ago
France's father had false papers, pixienat, which were torn up by an official near the end of the film because they didn't have "Jew" written on them. So when, as you say, people "did not look Jewish" and had false, Gentile identification papers (and non-stereotypically Jewish names) then they're not going to "endure terrible treatment from anyone".
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