Is Paris Burning? 1966

Shortly after the failed 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, General von Choltitz Gert Fröbe is installed as the military governor of occupied Paris, a grim assignment meant to keep the city from falling into Allied hands by any means necessary. Hitler believes Choltitz will follow orders to raze Paris if it comes to that, much as Warsaw would be destroyed to deny the Allies a symbolic victory.

As the Allies bypass Paris to strike at Germany directly, the French Resistance divides on how to respond. The Gaullists under Jacques Chaban-Delmas advise patience and caution, while the Communists, led by Colonel Rol-Tanguy, push for an immediate uprising. The two factions eventually align around a plan to seize key government buildings and rally civilian support, a move that could determine whether Paris remains a symbol of French resistance or becomes a showcase of German might.

Choltitz, initially intent on carrying out Hitler’s destruction of the city, faces a complication when his troops fail to dislodge the Resistance from the Paris Police Prefecture. In a pivotal moment, he orders the Luftwaffe to bomb the building, only to retract the move after a persuasive appeal from the Swedish consul Raoul Nordling Orson Welles. Nordling argues that bombing the area risks crippling priceless cultural treasures, including Notre Dame Cathedral, and he urges a pause to seek a truce. This intervention sets in motion a delicate, uneasy compromise between two sides that are still fighting but hoping to avoid total devastation.

The truce is negotiated under great pressure, but it is short-lived. While the Gaullists want to hold fast to the terms, the Communists press on, fighting with dwindling ammunition as the city grapples with its own fate. A critical development emerges when Adrien, a messenger from the Resistance, reaches out to the Americans to explain that Paris must be saved as a strategic and moral landmark. The message lands with General Omar Bradley, who agrees that a symbolic Allied presence is needed. He sanctions the movement of the 2nd Armored Division under General Philippe Leclerc Claude Rich to enter Paris and secure a basic, credible occupation by Free French forces.

As the German难situation grows direr, Choltitz delays the fatal order to destroy the city, doubting that the war can still be won and sensing that capitulation might be the wiser path. In a tense run of events, two SS officers reveal that their mission is not to raze Paris but to rescue the Bayeux Tapestry for Himmler before any destruction, a grim reminder of the war’s cultural losses. The German commander’s hesitation intensifies as his own officers press on with the plan of detonations, but the Allied advance continues to push closer.

Eventually, a line of American tanks—manned by Free French forces with a modest American escort—rolls into Paris. The tanks, named after battles from the Spanish Civil War, push toward the city center, signaling a turning point that convinces Choltitz to abandon the destruction order and surrender. As the line advances, German troops plant mines at strategic points, including Napoleon’s tomb, while civilians emerge to confront the danger and witness the unfolding drama.

When the Free French reach the Hôtel de Ville and the bells of Notre Dame ring again, the mood shifts from fear to celebration. De Gaulle’s parade through the streets, accompanied by cheering crowds, marks a symbolic victory as Paris is finally liberated. In the farewell mood, a voice from the German side lingers on a phone, repeatedly asking, “Is Paris burning?” even as the city’s skyline remains intact. The scene cuts from stark black-and-white footage to color as the closing credits roll, capturing a city and a people reclaiming their place in history.

In the end, the film presents a nuanced portrait of courage, hesitation, and resolve. It emphasizes how a combination of resistance, diplomacy, and strategic military moves helped prevent Paris from being reduced to ashes, and how the city’s liberation became a powerful symbol of resilience. The story intertwines human drama with historical spectacle, inviting viewers to reflect on the choices made by leaders, soldiers, and ordinary citizens under extraordinary pressure. The film invites memory and contemplation, offering a sweeping, meticulously detailed account that stays true to the events it portrays while presenting them in a richly cinematic frame.

Is Paris burning?