Arestrup and Dussollier are mesmerizing as they attack and parry, argue and counterargue. They reminisce about their lives before the war and wax poetic about their families - then engage in battle again.
Overview
The night of August 24, 1944. The fate of Paris is in the hands of General von Choltitz, governor of Grand Paris, who is preparing, on Hitler’s orders, to blow up the French capital. The descendent of a long line of Prussian military men, the general has never had any hesitation when it came to obeying orders. This is what’s on Swedish consul Raoul Nordling’s mind as he takes the secret staircase that leads to General von Choltitz’s suite at the Hôtel Meurice. The bridges on the Seine and the major monuments of Paris (including the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower) are mined with explosives, ready to be detonated. Armed with all the weapons of diplomacy, the consul will try to convince the general not to follow Hitler’s order of destruction.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Diplomacy will work for those who appreciate dialogue-based character films in which plot is of secondary importance.
Although we know what happens, Diplomacy keeps up the suspense and pulls off surprises as Choltitz's decision reaches its inevitable ending.
Its minor thrills come not from not knowing what will happen, but from watching the cagey choreography of two acrobatic minds.
If you've had your fill of tony World War II dramas, this probably won't renew your interest in the genre, but the leads are fine as usual and Schlondorff succeeds in making the stagebound material feel reasonably cinematic.
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