The Statement (2003) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A hidden wartime crime resurfaces through a revenge killing, exposing a decades-long protection conspiracy.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Fugitive's Buried Crime

Pierre Brossard's wartime crime remains hidden beneath decades of sanctuary and secret financial support. A revenge pursuit forces the old crime back into the present.

Key Events

• Wartime Executions — During World War II, Brossard orders seven Jews executed. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: France
• Sanctuary Network — Brossard hides in Catholic sanctuaries supported by secret allies. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: Southern France
• The Pursuit Begins — A hitman pursues Brossard under orders connected to the wartime executions. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: Southern France
• Printed Vengeance Statement — Brossard finds a statement declaring vengeance for the Jews executed in 1944. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: Southern France
• Brossard Kills Pursuer — Brossard kills the pursuer and hides the body after discovering the passport and statement. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: Southern France

The Investigation Awakens

The murder of Brossard's pursuer attracts police attention and brings Annemarie Livi into the case. Livi and Colonel Roux begin testing an initial assassination-plot theory.

Key Events

• Police Notice Murder — The hidden body's murder attracts local police attention. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: Southern France
• Livi Takes The Case — Investigating Judge Livi becomes absorbed by the case despite limited official assistance. Characters: Annemarie Livi Location: France
• Roux Joins Livi — Livi allies with Roux, a dedicated senior Gendarmerie investigator. Characters: Annemarie Livi, Colonel Roux Location: France
• Initial Plot Theory — Livi and Roux initially suspect the murdered pursuer belonged to a Jewish assassination plot. Characters: Annemarie Livi, Colonel Roux Location: Investigation office
• Failed Investigations Revealed — They discover decades of failed investigations into Brossard. Characters: Annemarie Livi, Colonel Roux, Pierre Brossard Location: Investigation office

The Protective Web Tightens

Livi and Roux uncover decades of failed investigations and hidden resources. Their progress places Brossard's secret allies under increasing scrutiny.

Key Events

• Hidden Resources Found — Livi and Roux uncover resources that expose Brossard's protective network. Characters: Annemarie Livi, Colonel Roux, Pierre Brossard Location: France
• Allies Under Scrutiny — Brossard's secret allies face increasing scrutiny for continuing to protect him. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: Southern France
• Brossard Visits Nicole — Brossard makes a surprise visit to his estranged wife Nicole. Characters: Pierre Brossard, Nicole Location: Marseille
• Protection Network Pressured — Relentless questioning increases pressure on Brossard's priests and wartime associates. Characters: Annemarie Livi, Colonel Roux, Pierre Brossard Location: France
• Escape Preparations — Brossard seeks new identity papers and money to flee France permanently. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: France

Escape Betrayed

Brossard visits his estranged wife and then seeks identity papers and money to flee France. His former protectors decide that his capture would endanger them.

Key Events

• Escape Preparations — Brossard seeks new identity papers and money to flee France permanently. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: France
• Final Flight Attempt — Brossard prepares to escape on the night arranged for his departure. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: France
• Protector's Betrayal — Brossard's handler shoots him on orders from former government protectors. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: France
• Brossard Dies — Brossard is killed before he can leave France or be captured. Characters: Pierre Brossard Location: France

Justice After Silence

Brossard is killed before he can escape. Livi and Roux trace the protection conspiracy to a senior government official and arrest that official for treason.

Key Events

• Conspiracy Traced — Livi and Roux trace the protection conspiracy to a high-ranking government official. Characters: Annemarie Livi, Colonel Roux Location: France
• Treason Arrest — Livi and Roux arrest the high-ranking official for treason. Characters: Annemarie Livi, Colonel Roux Location: France

Story Breakdown

• Wartime Crime — Brossard's past establishes the moral and historical foundation of the investigation.
  • Seven Executions — Brossard orders seven Jews executed during World War II.
  • Buried Responsibility — The crime remains connected to Brossard decades later.
• Sanctuary Network — Secret allies shelter Brossard and supply the resources that sustain his fugitive life.
  • Southern Sanctuaries — Brossard takes refuge within a Traditionalist Catholic community.
  • Secret Funding — Long-time allies operate covertly to provide him with money.
• Revenge Pursuit — A targeted assassination attempt brings Brossard's concealed history into the present.
  • Printed Statement — A statement identifies the killing as vengeance for the 1944 executions.
  • Hidden Body — Brossard kills the pursuer and hides the body.
• Investigative Partnership — Livi and Roux persist when official sectors fail to provide meaningful assistance.
  • Livi's Persistence — Livi becomes absorbed by the murder case and refuses to abandon it.
  • Roux's Support — Roux joins the investigation as a dedicated senior Gendarmerie investigator.
• Protective Web — The investigation reveals that Brossard's concealment depends on allies facing increasing pressure.
  • Failed Investigations — Earlier investigations into Brossard failed over more than forty years.
  • Allies Under Pressure — Priests and powerful wartime associates become reluctant and exposed.
• Flight And Betrayal — Brossard tries to escape France, but the protectors who fear his capture arrange his death.
  • Nicole's Visit — Brossard makes a desperate visit to his estranged wife in Marseille.
  • Fatal Escape — Brossard seeks new papers and money before being shot by his handler.
• Final Accountability — After Brossard dies, the investigators connect his protection to a senior government official.
  • Conspiracy Traced — Livi and Roux follow the protective network to its political source.
  • Treason Arrest — The high-ranking official is arrested for treason.

Directed by

Norman Jewison

Key Cast

• Michael Caine — Pierre Brossard
• Tilda Swinton — Annemarie Livi
• Jeremy Northam — Colonel Roux
• Alan Bates — Armand Bertier
• Charlotte Rampling — Nicole