Le Silence de la mer (1949 film)

This article is about the 1949 film. For the novel, see Le Silence de la mer. For the 2004 film, see Le Silence de la Mer (2004 film).

Le silence de la mer
French theatrical release poster
Directed byJean-Pierre Melville
Screenplay byJean-Pierre Melville
Based onLe Silence de la mer
(1942 novella)
by Vercors
Produced byPierre Braunberger
Starring
CinematographyHenri Decaë
Edited by
  • Jean-Pierre Melville
  • Henri Decaë
Music byEdgar Bischoff
Production
companies
  • Melville Productions
  • Société du Cinéma Le Panthéon
  • O.G.C. - Organisation Générale Cinématographique
Distributed byGaumont
Release date
  • 22 April 1949 (1949-04-22) (Paris)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryFrance
Languages

Le Silence de la mer (lit. 'The silence of the sea') is a 1949 French war drama film written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, in his directorial debut.[1][2][3][4] Adapted from the 1942 novella of the same name written by Vercors (the pen name of Jean Bruller). Set during the Second World War in occupied France, the story concerns the relationship of a Frenchman (Jean-Marie Robain) and his niece (Nicole Stéphane) with a German lieutenant, Werner von Ebrennac (Howard Vernon), who is billetted in their house. The film was released by Gaumont on April 22, 1949.

  1. ^ Vincendeau, Ginette (2003). Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris. British Film Institute. p. 223. ISBN 978-0851709499.
  2. ^ "Le Silence de la mer (1947) Jean-Pierre Melville". Ciné-Ressources (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Le Silence de la mer". Cinémathèque Française (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. ^ O'Brien, Geoffrey (1 May 2015). "Le silence de la mer: Stranger in the House". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 21 October 2023.