“Paints a very, very ugly picture of enthusiastic French collaboration.”
If you haven’t seen it, I would recommend (even though it’s from PBS!),
“Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State”.
It does a fairly good job of parcelling out accountability in terms of
who ordered it, who enthusiatically helped, who tried to not participate and
who sat on the sidelines...when it comes to the Holocaust.
The segment on the French/Vichy involvement ain’t pretty.
Especially as it centers on rounding up Jewish children in Paris and
“shippin’ em’ out”.
(If you rent/buy, do be forwarned about the “discussion” interludes
hosted by hot reporter-turned-nutty-liberal-earthmother Linda Ellerbee.
There are a few pearls from some of the commentators, but also some
PC drivel.)
Also recently rewatched Shoah and also watched/bought The Sorrow and the Pity, less known, 8-hour documentary on French collaboration (Amazon).
I am interested in French history and very hopeful with the election of Sarkozy. But the French have so, so much to be ashamed about. They didn't so much get defeated by the Nazis as roll over and join up with them. Sure, there were resistors. But my impression is that there was a hell of a lot more ~enthusiastic~ collaboration than there was "resistance."