“Hell Hath No Fury” is a war film of many deeds, and this is the story of Marie Dujardin, a French woman branded a traitor by her own countrymen. Saved by the American soldiers she ends up in the dead center of a high stakes exploration for a suddenly valuable cache of gold now a prize won by the Nazis, the French resistance and even American forces alike. The movie is a blend of afficianado’esque spy flick, betrayal, and heroism where the audience are kept on tenterhooks as Marie chances her arm against insurmountable odds.
The tale presents the tenacity and virulent will of Marie as alone she faces the power of the German war machine myriads, of the French Resistance, and the disarray of the American military. Her character underscores strength and courage and she travels a treacherous landscape of shifting alliances and hostile opposites. The performances are grubby and exuberant and reflect the audience of desperate wartime and the will that it takes to fight fighting terrible odds.
The movie has a visual rusticity with gritty cinematography that speaks to the ugly truths of war, explicitly. The action sequences are visceral, well choreographed, and a score does what it can to ratchet up the tension and emotional weight. Despite the feeling of familiarity relayed by the plot in its presentation of wartime heroism and betrayal, the film’s concentration on one of those stubborn women haranguing forces of evil makes for a great depth for the movie. “Hell Hath No Fury” is a pulse pounding ride which celebrates the tenacity and rebellion for one woman’s struggle against the faceless destroyers of warfare.
