A good number of internet posters object to the title here claiming it has nothing to do with the film. Perhaps not directly but in a general sense yes. During the Nazi Occupation of France owing to a general curfew the populace was forced to catch "The Last Metro" train if they wanted to get home at night.
So, the title simply calls attention to the time period the narrative is set in. Nothing too cryptic but rather basic!
Catherine Deneuve stars as Marion Steiner who has taken over the reins of a small theatre in the Montmarte section of Paris after her husband Lucas (Heinz Bennett)--the German-Jewish artistic director of the troupe-- has supposedly fled after the French collaborationist government has been looking to place him under arrest.
But all along Lucas remains hiding in the basement of the theater with Marion surreptitiously looking after him whenever she's not working upstairs.
Keep in mind that it takes a very long time before director Francois Truffaut introduces us to Lucas. This is the biggest problem with the film-due to a lack of judicious editing, things proceed extremely slowly from scene to scene.
In addition to the slow-moving machinations between Marion and Lucas, there's the other major part of the plot which involves the lead actor Bernard Granger (a very young looking Gérard Depardieu) in the play that's being put on.
Bernard is introduced as a ladies' man who attempts to hit on the production designer, a woman who turns out to be gay. Eventually we learn Bernard is active in the Resistance and becomes involved in the assassination of a German admiral (all of this virtually occurring off-screen).
Lucas starts to go stir crazy until he figures out a way to puncture a hole in a stove pipe leading to the stage where he can then hear all the lines and take notes which he gives to Marion who in turn hands to the director.
Perhaps the most interesting character in the film is the antisemitic theater critic Daxiat (Jean-Louis Richard) whom Marion must be careful not alienating as he has substantial influence on the censorship board which could possibly shut down the entire production.
There are few moments of suspense here with Truffaut mistakenly spending too much time on the peripheral characters as well as tediously covering moments from the "play within the play."
In addition to Daxiat becoming aware that Lucas has not fled occupied France and remains within the city, there's a moderately suspenseful scene in which Gestapo agents end up searching the basement where Lucas is hiding (but come up empty after Bernard helps to hide Lucas and his possessions).
I am not sure if I understood the whole scene in which Bernard attacks Daxiat following his poison pen review of Marion's production. Wouldn't have Daxiat immediately have asked the censorship board to shut down the production or at least attempted to have Bernard fired or arrested?
Predictably Francophiles will be overjoyed with all the "passion" at film's end. Although I didn't see much chemistry between Marion and Bernard until he helps Lucas, Marion's sudden decision to get physical with her leading man appears to be an act of gratitude.
And even Lucas appears to be grateful toward Bernard after the Liberation, when Marion and Bernard are cast as lovers in Lucas's new play. All three hold hands to the audience's rapturous applause signifying there are "no hard feelings."
The acting would certainly be perceived to be much better had Truffaut excised a good 30 minutes of footage. At two hours plus The Last Metro has too much padding for compelling entertainment.
So, the title simply calls attention to the time period the narrative is set in. Nothing too cryptic but rather basic!
Catherine Deneuve stars as Marion Steiner who has taken over the reins of a small theatre in the Montmarte section of Paris after her husband Lucas (Heinz Bennett)--the German-Jewish artistic director of the troupe-- has supposedly fled after the French collaborationist government has been looking to place him under arrest.
But all along Lucas remains hiding in the basement of the theater with Marion surreptitiously looking after him whenever she's not working upstairs.
Keep in mind that it takes a very long time before director Francois Truffaut introduces us to Lucas. This is the biggest problem with the film-due to a lack of judicious editing, things proceed extremely slowly from scene to scene.
In addition to the slow-moving machinations between Marion and Lucas, there's the other major part of the plot which involves the lead actor Bernard Granger (a very young looking Gérard Depardieu) in the play that's being put on.
Bernard is introduced as a ladies' man who attempts to hit on the production designer, a woman who turns out to be gay. Eventually we learn Bernard is active in the Resistance and becomes involved in the assassination of a German admiral (all of this virtually occurring off-screen).
Lucas starts to go stir crazy until he figures out a way to puncture a hole in a stove pipe leading to the stage where he can then hear all the lines and take notes which he gives to Marion who in turn hands to the director.
Perhaps the most interesting character in the film is the antisemitic theater critic Daxiat (Jean-Louis Richard) whom Marion must be careful not alienating as he has substantial influence on the censorship board which could possibly shut down the entire production.
There are few moments of suspense here with Truffaut mistakenly spending too much time on the peripheral characters as well as tediously covering moments from the "play within the play."
In addition to Daxiat becoming aware that Lucas has not fled occupied France and remains within the city, there's a moderately suspenseful scene in which Gestapo agents end up searching the basement where Lucas is hiding (but come up empty after Bernard helps to hide Lucas and his possessions).
I am not sure if I understood the whole scene in which Bernard attacks Daxiat following his poison pen review of Marion's production. Wouldn't have Daxiat immediately have asked the censorship board to shut down the production or at least attempted to have Bernard fired or arrested?
Predictably Francophiles will be overjoyed with all the "passion" at film's end. Although I didn't see much chemistry between Marion and Bernard until he helps Lucas, Marion's sudden decision to get physical with her leading man appears to be an act of gratitude.
And even Lucas appears to be grateful toward Bernard after the Liberation, when Marion and Bernard are cast as lovers in Lucas's new play. All three hold hands to the audience's rapturous applause signifying there are "no hard feelings."
The acting would certainly be perceived to be much better had Truffaut excised a good 30 minutes of footage. At two hours plus The Last Metro has too much padding for compelling entertainment.