Charlotte Gray
In 1942, a young Scottish woman, Charlotte Gray (Cate Blanchett), travels to London to take a job as a medical receptionist for a Harley Street doctor. Britain was at war and the Nazi were the enemy.…
Charlotte Gray
In 1942, a young Scottish woman, Charlotte Gray (Cate Blanchett), travels to London to take a job as a medical receptionist for a Harley Street doctor. Britain was at war and the Nazi were the enemy. On the train she talks to a man Richard Cannerley (Richard Cannerley) who enters her compartment, where he "interviews" her and gives her his card with the date, time and address of a book launch on the back. Richard says that he is a civil servant and asks questions about her life and expressing interest that she is fluent in French. Despite the war, social life in London is in full swing and her friends convince her to go. While there she soon meets Flight Lieutenant Peter Gregory (Rupert Penry-Jones), but is interrupted by the man from the train Cannerley, who urges her to meet some people. The temporary nature of life at the time is epitomized when she quickly loses her heart to Peter. Charlotte & Peter have sex at her apartment which she shares with 2 roommates. They speak on the nature of war and bravery. Charlotte tells him she thinks she is being asked to try out for some secret organization, while Peter tells her not to get involved in the war. Peter tells her his leave is over, and he is to take part in operations over France for the next few weeks. Cannerley recruits Charlotte for the SOE (Special Operations Executive a secret British Second World War organization created in July 1940). She is seconded to First Aid Nursing Yeomanry with the rank of Driver. She completes her initial training and is on leave when news comes back to Charlotte that Gregory's plane has gone down over occupied France and he is missing in action. Charlotte signs up for SOE operations in France, partly motivated by her wish to find him. France at the time was divided into 2 parts. The northern part, including Paris, was occupied by Germany, and the southern "free" part, was governed by the Vichy government, who was allied with the Nazis. The Vichy government is allowed to police itself. The main French resistance is located in the "free" zone. Charlotte spent much of her childhood in France and speaks the language fluently, which got her noticed by the SOE. She is warned that only 1 in 3 agents survive once they land in France. She is dropped in with two other men. Her mission is to complete a test run, a handover of some radio valves. In a cafe, she meets her contact, who is arrested by the police in front of her. Eventually her cover becomes dangerously close to being blown, so she settles down as housekeeper to an aging and no longer inspired painter, Levade (Michael Gambon), the father of her main resistance contact, Julien (Billy Crudup). She also helps to conceal two Hebrew children, Andre (Lewis Crutch), and Jacob (Matthew Plato), after their parents were deported to a German concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. As the year progresses, the oppression of the Hebrews in France steadily grows with complicity by the Vichy French government. Charlotte participates in a Resistance mission: helping to blow up a train carrying Nazi armaments and soldiers. The Nazis bring their own forces and armored vehicles to the village to crush the Resistance in the area. Charlotte's SOE contact tells her that Gregory died after his airplane was shot down. A French official arrives to work with the Germans to ensure that their quota for deporting Hebrew is met. Renech, the village schoolmaster, follows Charlotte. He learns that Levade is hiding Hebrew children. He threatens Charlotte with reporting the boys to the Nazis unless she agrees to become his "friend". She promises to meet him the following night. That night, Julien's Resistance group is ambushed by German soldiers, armed with machine guns. All are killed except Julien. Believing that Charlotte betrayed them, Julien confronts her the next day at his father's house. German soldiers, with Renech and the French official, soon arrive at Levade's house. Levade is interviewed about his Hebrew ancestry, and he stays silent. Renech tells Julien that he must betray either his father or the boys (Renech does not care which) to stay alive. Julien admits the Hebrew ancestry of both his father and him in order to save the two little boys. Levade is then packed off to the prison camp/transfer station. The Germans understand that Julien, who does not qualify for deportation because he is only one eight Hebrew, acted to protect the boys. Following betrayal by the duplicitous schoolmaster Renech (Anton Lesser), the two boys are taken anyway. Julien lies in wait for Renech in his apartment and shoots him dead. Julien leaves for southern France. Charlotte refuses to go with him, saying that she still has duties to fulfill. Charlotte smiles when he says that he does not even know her real name. Charlotte writes a letter to them and signs it from their mother, knowing how much they miss her. She runs to pass it through a hole in the wall of the train cargo box they share with Julien's father and many others, all saying goodbye to loved ones running along with the train. Levade reads it aloud to the boys: it purports to be a letter from their parents, encouraging them to care for one another, to eat well, to survive and reminding them of their parents' love. Charlotte later leaves France and returns to London. Peter Gregory, who actually survived his airplane crash and has been in hiding in France, contacts her, wanting to resume their romance. Charlotte explains that she grieved for him and cannot go back to their romantic relationship. After the war, Charlotte returns to Julien at what was formerly his father's home. For the first time, she tells him that her real name is Charlotte Gray. Though the fate of Julien's father and the two little boys is left unresolved, the indications make it clear that all three died in the concentration camp.
Charlotte Gray
Drama,Romance,Thriller
Film Details
In 1942, a young Scottish woman, Charlotte Gray (Cate Blanchett), travels to London to take a job as a medical receptionist for a Harley Street doctor. Britain was at war and the Nazi were the enemy. On the train she talks to a man Richard Cannerley (Richard Cannerley) who enters her compartment, where he "interviews" her and gives her his card with the date, time and address of a book launch on the back.
Richard says that he is a civil servant and asks questions about her life and expressing interest that she is fluent in French. Despite the war, social life in London is in full swing and her friends convince her to go. While there she soon meets Flight Lieutenant Peter Gregory (Rupert Penry-Jones), but is interrupted by the man from the train Cannerley, who urges her to meet some people.
The temporary nature of life at the time is epitomized when she quickly loses her heart to Peter. Charlotte & Peter have sex at her apartment which she shares with 2 roommates. They speak on the nature of war and bravery.
Charlotte tells him she thinks she is being asked to try out for some secret organization, while Peter tells her not to get involved in the war. Peter tells her his leave is over, and he is to take part in operations over France for the next few weeks. Cannerley recruits Charlotte for the SOE (Special Operations Executive a secret British Second World War organization created in July 1940).
She is seconded to First Aid Nursing Yeomanry with the rank of Driver. She completes her initial training and is on leave when news comes back to Charlotte that Gregory's plane has gone down over occupied France and he is missing in action. Charlotte signs up for SOE operations in France, partly motivated by her wish to find him.
France at the time was divided into 2 parts. The northern part, including Paris, was occupied by Germany, and the southern "free" part, was governed by the Vichy government, who was allied with the Nazis. The Vichy government is allowed to police itself.
The main French resistance is located in the "free" zone. Charlotte spent much of her childhood in France and speaks the language fluently, which got her noticed by the SOE. She is warned that only 1 in 3 agents survive once they land in France.
She is dropped in with two other men. Her mission is to complete a test run, a handover of some radio valves. In a cafe, she meets her contact, who is arrested by the police in front of her.
Eventually her cover becomes dangerously close to being blown, so she settles down as housekeeper to an aging and no longer inspired painter, Levade (Michael Gambon), the father of her main resistance contact, Julien (Billy Crudup). She also helps to conceal two Hebrew children, Andre (Lewis Crutch), and Jacob (Matthew Plato), after their parents were deported to a German concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. As the year progresses, the oppression of the Hebrews in France steadily grows with complicity by the Vichy French government.
Charlotte participates in a Resistance mission: helping to blow up a train carrying Nazi armaments and soldiers. The Nazis bring their own forces and armored vehicles to the village to crush the Resistance in the area. Charlotte's SOE contact tells her that Gregory died after his airplane was shot down.
A French official arrives to work with the Germans to ensure that their quota for deporting Hebrew is met. Renech, the village schoolmaster, follows Charlotte. He learns that Levade is hiding Hebrew children.
He threatens Charlotte with reporting the boys to the Nazis unless she agrees to become his "friend". She promises to meet him the following night. That night, Julien's Resistance group is ambushed by German soldiers, armed with machine guns.
All are killed except Julien. Believing that Charlotte betrayed them, Julien confronts her the next day at his father's house. German soldiers, with Renech and the French official, soon arrive at Levade's house.
Levade is interviewed about his Hebrew ancestry, and he stays silent. Renech tells Julien that he must betray either his father or the boys (Renech does not care which) to stay alive. Julien admits the Hebrew ancestry of both his father and him in order to save the two little boys.
Levade is then packed off to the prison camp/transfer station. The Germans understand that Julien, who does not qualify for deportation because he is only one eight Hebrew, acted to protect the boys. Following betrayal by the duplicitous schoolmaster Renech (Anton Lesser), the two boys are taken anyway.
Julien lies in wait for Renech in his apartment and shoots him dead. Julien leaves for southern France. Charlotte refuses to go with him, saying that she still has duties to fulfill.
Charlotte smiles when he says that he does not even know her real name. Charlotte writes a letter to them and signs it from their mother, knowing how much they miss her. She runs to pass it through a hole in the wall of the train cargo box they share with Julien's father and many others, all saying goodbye to loved ones running along with the train.
Levade reads it aloud to the boys: it purports to be a letter from their parents, encouraging them to care for one another, to eat well, to survive and reminding them of their parents' love. Charlotte later leaves France and returns to London. Peter Gregory, who actually survived his airplane crash and has been in hiding in France, contacts her, wanting to resume their romance.
Charlotte explains that she grieved for him and cannot go back to their romantic relationship. After the war, Charlotte returns to Julien at what was formerly his father's home. For the first time, she tells him that her real name is Charlotte Gray.
Though the fate of Julien's father and the two little boys is left unresolved, the indications make it clear that all three died in the concentration camp..