Au Revoir, Les Enfants

Released 1988
Reviewed April 8, 1998
Stars Gaspard Manesse, Raphael Fejto
Directed by Louis Malle

Someone once asked Roger Ebert what the difference between American and French films is. He replied, "American films are about plot. French films are about people." I think this summed it up perfectly. French films (and all foreign films in general), tend to be patient. They want to explore a person's qualities and a relationship's nuances, whereas American films want to keep the story moving and have as little quiet time as possible. It's not easy for Americans to sit down and watch a film like this without getting bored. I had to train myself to learn to look for the things the director wants us to see, such as the actors' eyes and body language. This is where much of the "action" takes place.

Having said all that, "Au Revoir, Les Enfants" (Goodbye, Children) is a patient film. It's set in France in 1944 at a Catholic boarding school for wealthy children. There are so many World War II stories that haven't been told, but should be. This is a good one. It opens with a new student, Jean Bonnet (Raphael Fejto), coming to the school. To some extent, Jean carries himself as a victim, and the other boys pick on him. The movie is too intelligent, however, to create "good" and "bad" characters. All of the boys are good, yet they all do mean things to each other. They're boys. This is in strict contrast to Hollywood, which requires a hero and villain.

Jean has an interesting relationship with the boy who sleeps in the next bed, Julien Quentin (Gaspard Manesse), which the film is very patient about developing. Julien alternates between picking on him, ignoring him, and liking him. Julien soon notices there's something different about Jean, and he searches to find his secret. Julien has a mean streak, and we get the impression he wants to use the secret against him. This creates much of the movie's tension. Unfortunately, I knew both the secret and the film's tragic ending beforehand, which somewhat ruined the experience for me. I'll be careful.

Julien also has a secret; albeit a minor one compared to Jean's. Julien is so homesick that he wets the bed nightly, although he's about 12 years old. Jean sees this, but he keeps the secret. Julien appreciates this, but is it enough to keep Jean's secret?

This all takes place at a time when France is occupied by Germany. The boys speak of the "Krauts," but they don't seem to really understand what's going on. Julien's older brother understands, however, and he does the most he can to rebel without being sent to a concentration camp or shot on the spot. One of his tricks provides the funniest moment in the movie.

The Nazi soldiers don't appear until halfway through the film. The movie wants to establish the boys' relationships before it introduces the tension they're living under. I think it could have introduced them sooner, because that's when I found my interest was truly piqued. That may just be my American impatience, however. Until the Nazis appear, the only effect we really see from the war is that these wealthy children are living under difficult conditions. Besides the air raids, they're always cold due to a lack of fuel (they also wear shorts during recess although it's January). There's precious little water, and what they have is cold. The food is poor, and they're required to share any food sent from home with their classmates. This led me to wonder how the majority of the French lived if this was how their privileged children lived.

The ending is perfect. I don't want to discuss it, because foreknowledge may ruin its power. After you've seen the film, click here for a commentary.

This is a very good film. If you watch it, sit back and watch the details. Be patient, and you'll be rewarded.

Reviewed by Bill Alward  Home
 

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