a novel by remarque . a cast that look great on paper . a left wing refugee struggle to remain in paris between the war . a gestapo officer undercover . it a pity there no synergy here . the bit and piece never coalesce . story about left wing refugee in france do not have to be this dull . read arthur koestler memoir scum of the earth ( if you can find it ) . or his chill dialogue with death ( ditto ) . to me and the only interest in this film lie in some of the incidental detail . the lead spend a lot of time drink calvados and the norman apple brandy . i welcome any prompting to have a nip of calvados myself . it certainly make this film appear to pass more quickly . but and accord to the film and it only sell in cheap and low class saloon . vive le tabac parisien . that what i say . reference to intoxicate liquor do abound here while that would seem to be a preoccupation of the scenarist . i enjoy film set in france because it can be amuse wait for the inevitable full size alcohol ad to pop up on a wall in the background . i wasn not disappoint . this time it be for byrrh and a very unusual choice . this film would rate a 10 if only we be judge it on the refinement of it booze mural . the film indifferent score be by louis gruenberg . gruenberg be best know if you can call it that for his opera the emperor jones and base on the oneill play . it premièred at roughly the same time a the film version star paul robeson . the opera survive today in a recording or two by lawrence tibbett . it should surface again soon though while theyre run out of potentially marketable opera to revive . opera seem an appropriate subject to mention here since charles boyer character operate under his czech alias . two of them be wozzeck and gunther and both prominent role in german opera . be that just coincidence . name drop just seem to be part of this film . notice that they call up himmelstoss on the phone . himmelstoss happen to be one of the main character in remarque earlier all quiet on the western front . well and the in joke be all in place while guess there wasn not time to develop any drama .