Whatever happened to this guy?

While surfing the other day on Flickr I saw this picture, one of the most dramatic shots I’ve come across in my entire life. It is taken during a parade in Paris of the Nazi troops having victoriously invaded France during World War II. Every single face in the shot says a story but the common denominator of all is that of fear and horror.

The main character is heartbreaking! Looking at the expression of his face I can’t help than feeling immense empathy with his pain. Tears shining at the bottom of his irises, his mouth trembling, feeling the humiliation deeply in his heart at the thought of his beloved fatherland taken over by the unfair invaders. The woman at the left, looking very much terrified as well, claps her hands in a somewhat forced fashion, as probably someone suggested to all of them to applaud and appear happy as “liberated” in reporters’ cameras.

Another remarkable element in the picture is the fine and distinguished clothes those people had on during that event. This guy’s jacket, shirt and tie look brilliant, impeccable! So very French! Especially the tie is reminiscent of top class Hermes designs... The lady on the left, very smart, with a beautiful hat, very typical of the times. Seems that people took real pride in what they wore, compared to what we see walking on the streets nowadays.

One face I can’t figure out how he really felt is the guy in the background, at the right. There is something in the way he looks that tells me that he wasn’t too sure whether to mourn about or celebrate the occupation. Maybe he was a snitch of some sort. I don’t like him, anyways.

Of all the occupied territories the French reacted with the most heroic, effective and hard core resistance to the Nazis. All this helped immensely to deliver the right strikes to the occupying forces and eventually lead to winning the war.
What happened to our man in the picture? He’s definitely not alive today... but who was he, what did he do next after the parade, did he live to see the end of the war, what craft or job did he do for living, had he any family and children, what schools did he attend, where was he from, how was he in happier moments, did he live happy and long after the war... I can’t help teasing myself with many thoughts about this chap...

I envy so much the photographer who took the shot... he’s got what great photographers always do: the ability to cease the moment! Not a millisec too early, not a millisec too late! Just the right capturing moment! Brilliant!