Le Silence de la Mer - Jean-Pierre Melville's debut film -  is and adaptation of the novella of the same title by celebrated French Resistance author Vercors (the pen name of Jean Bruller).  Clandestinely written in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of France and furtively distributed, it captured the spirit of the moment, and quickly became a staple of the Resistance.

Melville's cinematic adaptation - partly shot in Vercors' own house - tells the story of a German officer, Werner von Ebrennac, who is billeted to the house of an elderly man and his niece in occupied France.  Resisting the intruder, the uncle and niece refuse to speak to the German officer, who warms himself by the fire each evening espousing idealistic views about the relationship between France and Germany.  These propogandised illusions are shattered, however, when a trip to Paris reveals the truth of what is really going on.

One of the most important French films to deal with World War 2, and a landmark in Melville's distinguished oeuvre, Le Silence de la Mer is a lyrical, timeless depiction of the experiences and struggles of occupation and resistance.

Run time 1 hour 24 minutes