Sacrifice of Honor

Before the Battle is the English-language title of this espionage melodrama. The first half of the film takes place aboard a French cruising ship, steaming through dangerous waters during WWI. Among the passengers is heroine Jeanne (Annabella), who was once in love with first-officer D'Artelles (Robert Vidalin) but he now seems strangely preoccupied. It turns out that the ship is on a secret mission, which ultimately dooms the vessel to a Lusitania-like death. After the sinking, Captain De Corlaix (Victor Francen) faces a court-martial, and it is at this point that the film clarifies several baffling plot points. Despite its complexity, the story is fairly believable, with the exception of the grafted-on romantic subplot.

Cast

Annabella Jeanne de Corlaix Victor Francen Capitaine de Corlaix Gabriel Signoret Amiral Morbraz Pierre Renoir Commandant Branbourg Rosine Deréan Alice Robert Vidalin Lieutenant d'Artelles Roland Toutain Leduc Jean Dunot Maurice Baquet Léon Arvel Raymond Narlay Lucien Walter

Metadata from the source database.