Marcel Ophuls, ‘Sorry and the Pity’ Documentarian, Dies at 97

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97-year-old Marcel Ophuls, the acclaimed German-born French documentary filmmaker renowned for his thought-provoking films tackling challenging political, ethical, and philosophical topics, has passed away.

Ophuls “passed away tranquilly” at his residence in southern France, as reported by Andreas-Benjamin Seyfert to The Hollywood Reporter.

In 1988, Ophuls was awarded an Academy Award, along with prizes from Cannes and Berlin film festivals, for a four-and-a-half hour documentary titled Hotel Terminus. This compelling film delved into the life of Klaus Barbie, a notorious figure who stood trial in Bolivia for his Nazi war crimes in 1987.

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In 1988, Ophuls received an Academy Award and awards from both Cannes and Berlin film festivals for a lengthy documentary named Hotel Terminus. This four-hour, 27-minute production detailed the life of Klaus Barbie, who faced trial in Bolivia for his Nazi war crimes in 1987.

One of Ophuls’ most renowned works was created nearly two decades prior, titled “The Sorrow and the Pity” (1969). This film delved into the authentic experiences of life under Nazi occupation in the small industrial city of Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Over a period of more than two years, Ophuls painstakingly collected over 60 hours of material that was eventually transformed into the 4-hour, 11-minute film detailing France’s collaboration with Nazi Germany. (During this time, some in the country backed Hitler, others resisted, but most simply followed along).

The film “Sorrow and the Pity” resonated deeply within France, causing it to remain unshown for twelve years following its completion.

In an interview with The New York Times in 2000, Ophuls stated that many people in France continue to perceive his film as conveying a judgment on the French behavior. He finds such an interpretation to be arrogant, foolish, and accusatory – implying a condemnation of a country that had been defeated and was forced to endure those circumstances for four years.

I didn’t create this situation with the intention of making France collaborators. During critical times, we often have to make decisions that can mean life or death. It’s a heavy burden to ask people to be heroes. Try not to expect it from yourself or others.

In The New Yorker, Pauline Kael referred to “Sorrow and the Pity” as one of the most challenging movies ever produced. On the other hand, Richard Schickel in Life magazine described it as a remarkable human record.

As a gamer, I’d rephrase it like this: In Woody Allen’s classic film “Annie Hall,” The Sorrow and the Pity holds a significant spot. My character, Alvy Singer, insists on watching it with his reluctant girlfriend (played by Diane Keaton). Later in the story, even she takes her new beau to catch a screening of this very movie. Marshall McLuhan is also part of the cinema experience!

Marvin Ophuls was responsible for other impactful documentaries as well, such as “A Sense of Loss” from 1972, which delved into the Protestant-Catholic strife in Belfast; “The Memory of Justice” from 1976, which explored the Nuremberg trials and the Vietnam War over its 4 1/2 hour span; and “Veillees d’armes” from 1994, which depicted journalists under siege in Sarejevo.

1927 saw the birth of Ophuls in Frankfurt, Germany. In 1933, he and his family were compelled to leave their home due to circumstances. When Nazi forces took over Paris in 1940, they also had to depart from there. Eventually, they found refuge in Los Angeles in 1941.

During his time at Hollywood High School, Ophuls played a minor role as a Hitler Youth member in the film Prelude to War (1942), which was directed by Frank Capra and produced by the U.S. Army. Later on, he attended Occidental College and UC Berkeley, with a break in between for service with the U.S. Army’s theatrical unit.

Born proficient in both French and German, Ophuls made his film debut working alongside prominent directors such as John Huston and Anatole Litvak. He contributed to Huston’s “Moulin Rouge” (1952) and aided his father on “Lola Montes” (1955) following the family’s move back to France.

As a gamer, I found myself dabbling as a filmmaker while working for a TV station based in Baden-Baden, Germany. There, I crafted a short film about the renowned painter Henri Matisse. A fateful encounter at my father’s funeral in 1957 introduced me to the French cinematic legend Francois Truffaut. Impressed by my work, he offered me an opportunity to write and direct one of the segments for his groundbreaking anthology film, “Love at Twenty,” released in 1962.

Via Truffaut, Ophuls got acquainted with renowned French actors Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jeanne Moreau. These two actors starred as the main characters in Ophuls’ debut feature film, a comedy titled “Banana Peel,” released in 1963.

In 1965, he collaborated on the script and took charge of direction for the movie titled “Fire at Will,” which was a global suspense story revolving around a group of female secret agents, with American expatriate Eddie Constantine playing the role of an FBI officer.

In 1967, Ophuls made his debut in creating documentary features with the production titled “Munich or Peace in Our Time“, which was also intended for broadcast on German television.

In crafting “Hotel Terminus,” Ophuls utilized over 120 hours of dialogues with ex-Nazis, intelligence agents from America, high-ranking officials in South American governments, survivors of Nazi atrocities, and eyewitnesses, to create his movie about the infamous “Butcher of Lyon.

Afterwards, Ophuls held positions at CBS News and the ABC news program 20/20, as well as teaching roles at Princeton University. In 1995, he was honored with a career achievement award from the International Documentary Association.

Mike Barnes contributed to this report.

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2025-05-26 14:54