Diplomacy (2014)
88%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 6 nominations
Diplomacy is a film that will leave you feeling as if you’ve just witnessed a game of chess between two masters, with each move calculated and executed with precision. The dialogue-based character study may not be for everyone, but for those who appreciate the art of conversation, this film is a must-see. The performances by Arestrup and Dussollier are nothing short of mesmerizing, as they engage in a battle of wits that is both thrilling and poetic. Director Volker Schlöndorff’s use of a small set and canny lighting creates a sense of urgency and desperation that is palpable. In the end, Diplomacy is a love story about Paris, and the lengths two men will go to protect it.
Diplomacy is like watching a game of chess, but instead of pawns and kings, we have two old dudes arguing about the fate of Paris. It’s not your typical war movie, but if you’re into dialogue-heavy character studies, this might be your jam. Plus, the lighting flickers on and off, which is pretty cool. Overall, it’s worth checking out if you’re in the mood for something a little more intellectual than explosions and gunfire.
Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Jardin des Tuileries, Paris 1, Paris, France
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2014
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):French, German
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Country of origin:France, Germany
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2015
Genre(s)
History/Drama
Keyword(s)
Diplomacy, History, Drama, French, Raoul Nordling, Niels Arestrup, Général von Choltitz, Burghart Klaußner, Hauptmann Werner Ebernach, Robert Stadlober, directed by Volker Schlöndorff, produced by Marc de Bayser, Amelie Latscha, Frank Le Wita, Felix Moeller, Olivier Père, written by Volker Schlöndorff, Cyril Gely, character development, smart dialogue, plot, suspense, Paris, historical landmarks, critic reviews, reviewed by Tirdad Derakhshani, Matthew Lickona, James Berardinelli, Leba Hertz, Michael O’Sullivan, Mark Kermode, Dan Scully, Nicholas Bell, Steve Erickson, Neely Swanson, Kathy Fennessy, MPAA rating, box office performance, budget
Worldwide gross: $4,207,242
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,257,989
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,160
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 573,390
US/Canada gross: $230,880
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $288,542
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,468
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,518
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $10,645
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,689
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Niels Arestrup – Général von Choltitz
Burghart Klaußner – Hauptmann Werner Ebernach
Robert Stadlober – Lieutenant Bressensdorf
Charlie Nelson – Le concierge
Jean-Marc Roulot – Jacques Lanvin
Director – Volker Schlöndorff
Producers – Marc de Bayser, Amelie Latscha, Frank Le Wita, Felix Moeller, Olivier Père
Writers – Volker Schlöndorff, Cyril Gely
Director(s)
Volker Schlöndorff
Writer(s)
Volker Schlöndorff, Cyril Gely
Producer(s)
Marc de Bayser, Amelie Latscha, Frank Le Wita, Felix Moeller, Olivier Père
Film Festivals
Berlin, Telluride
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 6 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (3)
Arestrup and Dussollier are mesmerizing as they attack and parry, argue and counterargue. They reminisce about their lives before the war and wax poetic about their families – then engage in battle again.
December 12, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Tirdad Derakhshani
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
A little supporting personality could have made the proceedings feel less like a smartly staged character study and more like a wartime drama.
December 4, 2014 | Rating: 2/5
Matthew Lickona
San Diego Reader
TOP CRITIC
Diplomacy will work for those who appreciate dialogue-based character films in which plot is of secondary importance.
December 2, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
Although we know what happens, Diplomacy keeps up the suspense and pulls off surprises as Choltitz’s decision reaches its inevitable ending.
November 26, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
Leba Hertz
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Its minor thrills come not from not knowing what will happen, but from watching the cagey choreography of two acrobatic minds.
November 20, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
The result is intriguing and intelligent, but ultimately uninspired.
November 16, 2014
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
If you dig “talking movies” and want to try something that’s not in the American “Sorkin/Mamet” smooth-talk variety, Diplomacy is worth checking out.
April 14, 2020
Dan Scully
Cinema76
Though it tends to be a rather dusty historical drama, Diplomacy isn’t without significant merits, a drama depicting the type of barely contained desperation behind what could have been a significant catastrophe.
September 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
What might seem like excess staginess in a lesser director’s hands becomes excitingly stripped-down here, especially with canny use of a moving camera on a small set, where lighting keeps flickering due to power outages.
February 16, 2018
Steve Erickson
Gay City News
This is a game of chess played out by the knights, fearful of the king but strong in chivalric code.
September 15, 2017
Neely Swanson
Easy Reader (California)
The suspense stems not from the foreseen conclusion, but from the thinking that leads up to it.
August 21, 2017
Kathy Fennessy
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
The best way to look at his film is as a love story about Paris. One can differ about the interpretation of events presented in the movie. It is hard to disagree about the worthiness of his love.
August 21, 2017
Ian Buruma
The New York Review of Books…
Plot
A historical drama that depicts the relationship between Dietrich von Choltitz, the German military governor of occupied Paris, and Swedish consul-general Raoul Nordling.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Niels Arestrup, who plays General von Choltitz in Diplomacy, is a renowned French actor who has won multiple awards for his performances.
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