Sacrifice of Honor(1935)

Name: Sacrifice of Honor
Director: Marcel L'Herbier
Genre: War, Drama
Released: 1935-01-01
Duration: 80 min
Cast: Annabella, Victor Francen, Gabriel Signoret, Pierre Renoir, Rosine Deréan

Annabella Victor Francen Gabriel Signoret Pierre Renoir Rosine Deréan

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.