Calm at Sea

A somber, quietly devastating chronicle of moral cowardice and bureaucratic horror under occupation, steeped in dread.

Directed by

Volker Schlöndorff

Genres

War, Drama, History

Starring

Léo-Paul Salmain, Ulrich Matthes, Jean-Marc Roulot

Overview

October 1941. Eighteen months into France’s occupation by German troops, young Communist members of the Resistance shoot dead an officer of the German Army. In retaliation, Hitler demands the deaths of 150 Frenchmen, as 'retribution'. The targets are to be mostly young men believed to share the assassins’ political convictions. Most of these men are taken from an internment camp for opponents of the occupation; a 35-year-old French rural administrator is ordered to select the victims. Although the parish priest appeals to their conscience and moral sensibilities, both the German military and their French helpers slavishly follow their orders.

How it feels

Dark, bleak, tense and melancholic. Slow-burning and needs your attention.

About

War, morality, death, guilt

Content

Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)