Director Xavier Giannoli’s latest cinematic offering, ‘Les Rayons et les Ombres’ (Rays and Shadows), delves into one of France’s most contentious historical periods: collaboration during World War II. The film stars Jean Dujardin as the real-life figure Jean Luchaire, a prominent press baron whose pacifist ideals tragically morphed into Nazi collaboration, leading to his post-war execution for treason.
The narrative unfolds primarily through the post-war reflections of Luchaire’s daughter, Corinne Luchaire, a French actress once celebrated as “the new Garbo.” As portrayed by newcomer Nastya Golubeva Carax, Corinne grapples with her unwavering loyalty to her father and the horrifying truth of his actions. Her initial refusal to acknowledge the full extent of his complicity, born from a willful blindness, is shattered during a poignant encounter. A Jewish director, instrumental in her early career, visits her modest apartment and reveals the tragic fate of his sister in a concentration camp. Corinne’s bewildered “I didn’t know” is met with the piercing, unanswerable question: “Did you even try to find out?”
Giannoli’s film bravely shines a light on this sensitive topic, exploring the complex moral landscape and the enduring pain it inflicts, prompting contemporary France to revisit its past through a powerful and intimate lens.