剧情：AtthestartoftheFirstWorldWar,MartheRichardseesherparentsarrestedbyGermansoldiers,takenawayandshot.Whenshelosescontactwithherfiancé,André,asoldierontheWesternFront,theyoungwomanhastenstoPariswithonethoughtinhermind–totakerevengeontheGermansbyservinghercountry.SheisengagedbyCommandantRémondtoworkasaspy.Sheisse... (展开全部) AtthestartoftheFirstWorldWar,MartheRichardseesherparentsarrestedbyGermansoldiers,takenawayandshot.Whenshelosescontactwithherfiancé,André,asoldierontheWesternFront,theyoungwomanhastenstoPariswithonethoughtinhermind–totakerevengeontheGermansbyservinghercountry.SheisengagedbyCommandantRémondtoworkasaspy.Sheisse... AtthestartoftheFirstWorldWar,MartheRichardseesherparentsarrestedbyGermansoldiers,takenawayandshot.Whenshelosescontactwithherfiancé,André,asoldierontheWesternFront,theyoungwomanhastenstoPariswithonethoughtinhermind–totakerevengeontheGermansbyservinghercountry.SheisengagedbyCommandantRémondtoworkasaspy.SheissenttoSaint-SébastieninSpaintomakecontactwithtwoseniorGermanofficers,vonLudowandvonFalken.VonLudowiseasilyseducedbyMarthe’scharmsandoffersherworkasaspy.Havinggainedtheconfidenceofherenemies,Marthestandseverychanceoffulfillinghermission,todeterminethewhereaboutsofahiddensubmarinebase.However,vonLudow’smistress,MataHari,seesMartheasarivalandsetsouttothwarthermission... MartheRichardauservicedelaFranceisoneofthreefilmsbydirectorRaymondBernardwhichweresetatthetimeoftheFirstWorldWar.Theothertwowere:LesCroixdebois(1932)andLesOtages(1938).ThefilmisbasedonthememoirsofMartheRichardwho,asayoungwoman,workedasaspyfortheFrenchduringWWI.RichardwouldlaterbecamealeadingcampaigneragainstprostitutioninFrance,astaunchsupporterofthelawthatwouldresultintheclosureofbrothelsin1946. Themainattractionofthisfilmisitscast.ThepartofMartheRichardisplayedbyEdwigeFeuillère,anengagingandverytalentedactresswhowasoneofthestarsofFrenchcinemainthe1930sand1940s.Herco-staristheimpressiveErichvonStroheim,whohadestablishedhimselfasanactorinHollywoodafteraninspiredbutlargelyunsuccessfulcareerasafilmdirector.ThiswasthefirstofaroundhalfadozenFrenchfilmswhichvonStroheimstarredinbeforehisreturntotheUnitedStatesatthestartofWorldWarII.ItwasimmediatelyfollowedbyLaGrandeillusion,inwhichvonStroheimagainplaysaGermanofficerduringWWI,arguablytheactor’smostmemorablefilmrole.Atthetime,vonStroheimcouldnotspeakFrenchandhadtolearnhislinesphonetically,butthatdidnotpreventhimfromgivingapowerful,intenselyhumanperformance. UnlikemostofRaymondBernard’sfilms,MartheRichardauservicedelaFrancehasnotagedwell.Thisispartlytodowiththequalityofthespecialeffects–theair-seabattlesequenceattheendofthefilmwasclearlytooambitioustoberealisedconvincinglywiththeavailableresourcesandlooksrisiblecomparedwithcomparableHollywoodofferingsoftheperiod.However,whatmostdatesthefilmisitsflagrantappealtonationalism.IncontrasttoBernard’searlierWWIfilm(theexcellentLesCroixdebois),itshowsagrotesquelyidealisedviewofwar,withJohnBuchan-styleheroes,bloodlessconflictandnoendofflag-wavingcrowds.Obviously,thefilmwasanappealtopatriotismasatimewhenwarinEuropelookedimminent,whenamorerealisticapproachwouldhavebeenamuchhardersell.ItisinterestingtocomparethiswithBernard’snextfilm,LesOtages,alsosetduringWorldWarI.Whilstthislaterfilmalsotakesapatrioticline,itdoessoinafarmoresubtleway,whilstgivingamorehonestandconvincingportrayalofthehorrorsofwar. OneofthemainthemesofMartheRichardauservicedelaFranceisthequestionofidentity,ofpeoplenotrealisingwhotherealenemyisduringaperiodofcrisis.BernardseemstobestrangelyprescientoftheproblemsthatwouldbesettheFrenchnationwhenitfellunderGermanoccupationintheearly1940s,atimewhennoonecouldknowforcertainwhowasacollaboratororwhowasaresistancesupporter,atimewhenpersecutedminoritiesandfree-thinkershadtoconcealtheiridentitiesorfacedeportationtotheNazideathcamps.ThiswouldprovidethesubjectforRaymondBernard’sUnamiviendracesoir(1946),thefirstfilmhemadeafteraperiodofobscurityduringtheSecondWorldWar,oneofhisdarkestandmostinterestingfilms.~JamesTravers@frenchfilmguide.com