What were living conditions like in France during World War II? Safe Conduct (Laissez-Passer), directed by Bertrand Tavernier provides a 170-minute window into that era through the eyes of a film company; incidents in the movie are based on actual events from 1942-1944 and are based on the book by the famous novelist Jean Devaivre. In the film Devaivre (played by Jacques Gamblin) is an assistant director and screenwriter whose wife, child, girlfriend, brother, nephew, business associates, and resistance friends suffer from the German Nazi occupation in almost every conceivable way. Several incidents stand out. A twenty-year-old picks up two propaganda leaflets in the dark and is never heard from again. A busload of Jews is whisked out of town. Police confrontations and interrogations are no picnic. Collaborationists prey on women for sex. Changes have to be made in the dialog to satisfy censors. When the Communist Party line changes from the united front policy to armed resistance, a longtime member resists the change and is expelled. Even the British are skeptical of a military file purloined by the protagonist. One form of revenge is to write period stories with lines that cleverly critique the onerous occupation, another is to place restaurants in the center of his stories so that there will be food for the starving cast. Perhaps the most profound aspect of the film is the depiction of how false premonitions and subtle happenings terrify those under the occupation. Many French filmviewers will have goosebumps while viewing Safe Conduct, and many Americans will gain new respect for the resilience of the French in seeking to preserve their culture against great odds. MH