''Arch of Triumph'' is a 1984 British

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

by Harlech Television. It is based on the novel '' Arch of Triumph'' by

Erich Maria Remarque Erich Maria Remarque (, ; born Erich Paul Remark; 22 June 1898 – 25 September 1970) was a German-born novelist. His landmark novel ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1928), based on his experience in the Imperial German Army during World ...

, author of ''

All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (german: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit=Nothing New in the West) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma ...

''. The novel was previously adapted in 1948 for a film of the same name with

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary '' Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is ofte ...

and

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

. It was released on 19 December 1984 in the UK, and on 29 May 1985 in the US. It was directed by

Waris Hussein Waris Hussein (''né'' Habibullah; born 9 December 1938) is a British-Indian television and film director. At the beginning of his career he was employed by the BBC as its youngest drama director. He directed early episodes of ''Doctor Who'', inc ...

and produced by Mort Abrahamson,

Peter Graham Scott Peter Graham Scott (27 October 1923 – 5 August 2007) was an English television and film producer, television director, film director, film editor and screenwriter. He was one of the producers and directors who shaped British television drama i ...

and

John Newland John Newland (November 23, 1917 – January 10, 2000) was an American director, actor, television producer, and screenwriter. Early life and career Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Newland began his career in vaudeville while still in his teens. Aft ...

. The adaptation was by Charles E. Israel, the music score by

Georges Delerue Georges Delerue (12 March 1925 – 20 March 1992) was a French composer who composed over 350 scores for cinema and television. Delerue won numerous important film music awards, including an Academy Award for '' A Little Romance'' (1980), three C ...

and the cinematography by Bob Edwards. The film stars

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

, as Ravic, an Austrian doctor,

Lesley-Anne Down Lesley-Anne Down (born 17 March 1954) is a British actress, singer and former model. She achieved fame as Georgina Worsley in the ITV drama series '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1973–75). She received further recognition for her performances in ...

as Joan Madou, and

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...

as Haake a

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...

chief with Frank Finlay, Joyce Blair and Richard Pasco. In the film, Joan Madou (

) sings " J'attendrai".

Plot

Ravic is an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n doctor who helped Jews escape from the

Nazi regime Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. He was tortured in a

concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

. In 1939 he is living in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, under a false name and without any documents, constantly aware of the risk of being arrested. At night, on one of Paris' bridges over the

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/ Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributa ...

, Ravic meets Joan Madou, a woman about to (possibly) attempt suicide, and helps her. This is the start of a romance. But the prickly Ravic has unfinished business with the Nazis, and in particular Haake the Gestapo chief who had sent him to the concentration camp after spotting him in the street. He is separated from Joan after being discovered as refugee without papers. With no communication possible between them, they each try to manage under difficult circumstances and, when they finally meet up again after six months of unexplained absence, there are shadows hanging over their relationship. They cautiously try to mend their broken affair as international events spin out of control around them. In the end, as planned, Joan tells her lover that she is leaving him for Ravik and meets Ravik at a restaurant. But he has sighted Haake at another table and is so consumed by revenge that he sends Joan away, even though she tells him that her lover threatens to kill her if she leaves him. The radio and newspapers warn that war is imminent. Ravic kills Haake, but so abruptly that he does not have time to reveal his identity or call Haake to account for the lives he destroyed. Joan’s lover does shoot her, and hours later he goes to Ravic for help. When Ravic operates he discovers the bullet cannot be removed. Paralyzed, dying and in pain, Joan makes him promise to release her.. They declare their love and when a wave of agony overcomes Joan, he gives her an injection that eases her pain and then frees her. “My life, my love... God, Why?" he sobs in despair. His friend Boris offers him false identity papers, but Ravic is tired of running and living without a name. He turns himself in to the French authorities and is sent to an internment camp. He tells a pregnant woman on the truck not to worry. A fellow passenger says “Here we go again". "Ah yes," Ravic replies, "Human beings can stand a great deal." The truck drives off through the night, towards the Arc de Triomphe. The audience knows that the war is about to start and that the Nazis will march into Paris along the same route.

Production

The filming took place on various locations including

and

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Pl ...

Reception

Filmdienst described it as being globally successful and with accurate characterisations and impressive acting from the lead role. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' said that the director "manages to retain an unusual degree of ominous tension throughout the movie" and as "an adult story told with a minimum of audience-research distractions".

References

External links

*
''Arch of Triumph''
on

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arch Of Triumph (1985 Film) 1984 films British television films Films based on German novels Films based on works by Erich Maria Remarque Films directed by Waris Hussein Films set in Paris Films set in 1939 Films set in 1940 ITV television dramas Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Harlech Television (HTV) British remakes of American films British World War II films 1980s English-language films 1980s British films