Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Another of the detective movies I borrowed recently, The German Woman is part of the Foyle’s War war series that I must have seen at some time (I think), but so long ago that I can’t really remember it. Based on this episode, it will be well worth my getting hold of the rest of the series.

The German Woman is actually the very first series, and what a season opener it is. Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle (Michael Kitchen) is getting frustrated with not doing more directly related to the war effort (the series is set in England during the first phase of the second world war). He has put in several transfer requests, all of which have been turned down by the Police Commissioner (played in his usual manner by Edward Fox), who realises the value of Foyle as a police detective.

Near the coast, all Germans living in England are classified in various ways, usually as potential threats to national security (banned from having cameras, suspected of making visible signs to the German bombers coming in via the sea, etc), and almost all are sent to detention centres. In the area Foyle operates there is one notable exception – the German wife of a local magistrate, who is given exemption and roams the countryside freely – but not without suspicion from the local villagers. Her step-daughter (played by the rather wonderful Rosamund Pike) dislikes her, the feeling is mutual – the German woman also has a strong dislike for her stepdaughter’s fiancé, for reasons that seem obvious but may ot be…

While on the case of a man who claims he can “lose” people’s sign-up papers so that they don’t have to go to war, Foyle becomes involved in a local tragedy, and then murder – all seeming to hinge around one family. The German Woman is a key to this, but if anything happens to her will anyone care – after all, she is a German? What about the young soldier back from leave who asked for help to get his uncle out of the detention centre? What’s the business with the fiancé? The pub landlord? The plot thickens and gets more absorbing as the episode goes on, never failing to intrigue or surprise. Superbly plotted.

Now the problem I often have with detective series is that the detectives usually fall into one of three distinct categories – 1/ tough as nails (and usually hard-drinking) police detectives, 2/ meddling old women (Miss Marple), or 3/ self-satisfied foreigners (Poirot). The first I find tolerable but somewhat cliché, the second and third I often find profoundly annoying. Not so with DCS Foyle, however – here is a man of moral fibre, honour and integrity, who as the title suggests is fighting his own personal war with World War Two raging in the background. Michael Kitchen’s portrayal of the character is nothing short of superb – he comes across as a man of deep convictions, bound by duty and honour but also rather a deep-thinker and humanitarian. His personal life is also given ample exploration in just this first episode – particularly his relationship with his son, who has just been called up. Neither are the peripheral characters two-dimensional – they all have their own background, motives, and justifications for what they do – which are all believable.

The subject matter of this particular episode is also fascinating, and (as far as I know) seldom explored – what happened to the Germans living in England during the war? How were they treated? Did anyone overcome national prejudice to see them as humans too (especially apt given the recent influx of psychological studies about the de-humanising of enemies in warfare)? All interesting questions, all relevant, and all dealt with in a no-nonsense manner with both sides of the story being resented. Most importantly, all woven in as intrinsic to the story without getting in the way of it. A tidy musical score complements the action perfectly.

In addition to all the above recommendations, the cast is terrific, with Robert Hardy and several other actors who will be well known to British TV viewers. There is also a lot of dry humour in the script, and some lighter-hearted humour as well – much provided by Foyle’s interchanges with his new driver, Samantha Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks). There is also an interesting side-story about Foyle’s reunion with a Detective Sergeant who joined the forces but is now back in hospital…

Overall this is a truly excellent detective movie in its own right, even though it’s actually part of a series. I’ll certainly be looking out for the rest of the series.

(This episode’s UK rating is 12 – probably PG-13 in the States – which is due to a little language and some violence. Nothing terribly graphic but it’s set in wartime and doesn’t pretend that war is pretty.)


Links

Michael Kitchen was also in The Russia House


Rosamund Pike was also in Pride and Prejudice


Recommended: Yes