Gaumont’s WWII Drama ‘Rays and Shadows’ Triggers Firestorm and Reopens France’s Deepest Wound Over Nazi Past

Apr 7, 2026 8:28am PT Gaumont’s WWII Drama ‘Rays and Shadows’ Triggers Firestorm and Reopens France’s Deepest Wound Over Nazi Past By Elsa Keslassy Plus Icon Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent @elsakeslassy Latest France’s CNews Under Investigation for Hate Speech After Comments Targeting Black Mayor 4 days ago France, South Korea to Co-Chair International Summit on Cinema, Series and Video Games 4 days ago Mubi Buys ‘Minotaur’ From Oscar-Nominated Russian Filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev for North America, the U.K. and More Territories 5 days ago See All Half a century after Gaumont delivered France’s first film on Nazi collaboration with Louis Malle’s “Lacombe Lucien,” the studio finds itself at the center of a full-blown national culture war with Xavier Giannoli ’s polarizing “ Rays and Shadows .” Tackling the taboo topic of French collaboration with the Nazis during the German occupation of France during WWII, the three-hour, 15-minute period drama has already drawn more than 640,000 moviegoers since its March 18 release; a remarkable performance for a period film of that length in a theatrical landscape that’s typically dominated by U.S. blockbusters, franchises and comedies. But its healthy box office performance has been matched by a fierce critical war that keeps growing nearly three weeks after its theatrical rollout and stretches across newspapers, TV, magazines and social media. The country’s biggest outlets — including Le Monde and Libération — have both published reviews and op-eds laying out the opposing camps. Related Stories 'Wizard of Id,' 'B.C.' Comics to Be Adapted by New Production Company Underneath the Umbrella