Battleship Jean Bart: Race against the clock
Feature Film (r. 04_EN – 116 pages)
(Note: This work is derived from a previous version entitled Jean Bart. Time is everything)
Drama – Historical – Loosely inspired by real events
Text in English
Characters: 7 main characters (37 with at least one line of dialogue, 13 with lines in at least five scenes)
Locations: 61 total (20 used in at least three scenes)
Period: 1939-1940
Locations of the story: Saint-Nazaire (shipyards), Paris, Sens, French countryside
Legal deposit: Patamu Registry
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Synopsis
When Pierre-Jean Ronarc’h is appointed commander of the battleship Jean Bart, the ship is still under construction at the Saint-Nazaire shipyards. Her completion was scheduled for early 1941. However, the rapidly approaching war forces an acceleration of the timeline, and Ronarc’h is assigned the critical task of ensuring the Jean Bart would be at sea by October 1940. With the essential help of Vice-Commander Rodellec, Engineer Gasquet, and foreman Camaret, construction progresses so rapidly that Ronarc’h's relentless push meant that, by April, the Jean Bart was rapidly nearing completion—a feat that could see her deployed even before the imposing German battleship Bismarck.
Just a few days later, however, the invasion and rapid advance of the German army on French soil dramatically changes the situation: the Saint-Nazaire shipyards suddenly came within range of German bombers, and the Nazi army could reach them as early as July. Completing six months’ worth of work in just one month is clearly impossible, creating a desperate, high-stakes situation. To save the vessel, Engineer Gasquet devises a radical emergency plan: by installing only the bare essentials and sacrificing non-critical systems, the massive battleship could theoretically set sail on June 20th.
With the fate of the Jean Bart and potentially the war effort hanging in the balance, everyone is called to action, and the race against time began in a frantic and dangerous effort. Despite the overwhelming odds, the unyielding efforts of Ronarc'h and his dedicated men overcome the impossible deadline. They succeed in getting the battleship seaworthy, and on June 18th—two days ahead of Gasquet’s emergency schedule—the Jean Bart finally sets sail, escaping the advancing German forces.