Hope. It’s the one thing that can pull us out of even the darkest times, giving us a reason to continue on when everything seems small and useless. In Frantz, hope is a guiding principle: hope for forgiveness, for love, for being able to muster the strength to move on. The film takes place in France and Germany in the aftermath of World War I, sharing the mourning of both countries, as well as the resentment and outright disgust each had toward the other. It follows Anna (Paula Beer), a young German woman sorting through the emotions and angst of losing her fiance, Frantz Hoffmeister, in the war. Her new life is no longer focused on an impending wedding to her love, but on visiting his grave and supporting his parents through the tragedy. Her numbing activities are disrupted by a visit from a mysterious Frenchman, Adrien Rivoire (Pierre Niney), who visibly holds some secret of Frantz. Instead of sharing honestly, however, he relays memories of a friendship the two men had before the war, which brings happiness into the Hoffmeister home for the first time since Frantz’s tragic death. The film is black and white, except for key moments when color appears, when hope is
alive. When Adrien’s truth is finally revealed, Anna must accept and forgive. It’s clear, though, that through it all, hope wins and color shines through.
Should you see it? It’s a sweet movie, yes.
Opens at Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema April 7
