French cinema in 2026 is revisiting the complex legacy of the Second World War, with a series of high-profile films examining themes of occupation, collaboration, resistance, and liberation. This renewed focus highlights the enduring cultural significance of the war in France and reflects ongoing public and scholarly engagement with its difficult history.
The year began with Xavier Giannoli’s *Les Rayons et les Ombres* (*The Rays and Shadows*), a fictionalized story centered on newspaper publisher Jean Luchaire and his daughter Corinne, both known collaborators during the occupation. The film, featuring Jean Dujardin, elicited mixed reactions from critics, praised for its psychological depth but also criticized for appearing to sympathize with characters involved in collaboration.
At the Cannes Film Festival in May, wartime themes dominated the lineup, with four notable premieres: *De Gaulle: Résistance*, directed by Antonin Baudry, a biopic depicting Charles de Gaulle’s early years in London as leader of the Free French; *Moulin* by László Nemes, focusing on resistance fighter Jean Moulin; Daniel Auteuil’s *La Troisième Nuit* (*When the Night Falls*), a drama set during the occupation; and Emmanuel Marre’s *Notre Salut* (*A Man of His Time*), a satirical portrayal of a Vichy official. Among these, *The Rays and Shadows* and *De Gaulle: Résistance* have achieved commercial success and sparked public discussion.
Baudry’s *De Gaulle* films, adapted from British historian Julian Jackson’s 2018 biography, present the wartime leader as a resolute outsider, initially marginalized and mistrusted by both British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the United States, which initially supported Vichy admiral François Darlan. The biopic aims to demystify De Gaulle’s reputation by portraying his personal awkwardness and isolation, challenging the narrative from his own memoirs that suggested widespread French support from the outset. Baudry noted the importance of capturing De Gaulle as a figure of “generational renewal,” standing against the older political establishment.
Critical reception of Baudry’s work has evolved; initially met with skepticism, its second installment, *De Gaulle: Liberté*, released in June in France and set for a UK release on September 18, has been praised as a forceful, anti-fascist rallying cry. Historian Ginette Vincendeau observes that De Gaulle is being reclaimed by contemporary audiences as a defender of French sovereignty and political independence, reflecting nostalgia for a period when France was a powerful, autonomous nation.
In contrast, Marre’s *A Man of His Time* offers a darker commentary on the occupation by exploring how authoritarian regimes co-opt individuals without overt coercion. Drawing on his great-grandfather’s experiences, Marre emphasizes the persistence of “phantom memories” within French families—stories of collaboration and survival that have often been suppressed or forgotten.
The occupation and resistance have long been frequent subjects in French cinema, with classics such as Jean-Pierre Melville’s *Army of Shadows* (1969), Louis Malle’s *Lacombe, Lucien* (1974), and Marcel Ophuls’s documentary *The Sorrow and the Pity* (1969) shaping public understanding. Yet, as Marre points out, the physical distance from the war is growing, prompting renewed efforts to find and tell these stories in a climate where direct testimony is increasingly rare.
Experts like Vincendeau highlight how the memory of the Second World War remains deeply woven into French cultural identity, affecting virtually every family and generating ongoing reflection on the nation’s past. Upcoming screenings in the UK, including *The Rays and Shadows* and *La Troisième Nuit* at the French Film Festival London in November, underscore the continued relevance of these narratives.