«Au Revoir Les Enfants» (1987)

 Stop acting so pious. There's a war outside

In 1974, Louis Malle released «Lacombe Lucien» - a film that made France to confront itself during World War 2. 14 years later, he decided to revisit his childhood memories and made «Au Revoir Les Enfants». What can we say about it?

Winter of 1943-1944. A descendant of a wealthy Parisian family Julien Quentin returns to his Catholic boarding school. Everything goes as usual except for arrival of three new students, including Jean Bonnet. The new boy raises suspicions because he does not eat pork and bathes separately from others. Maybe he is a Jew…

The Director portrays a life of a boarding school in occupied France. The students lead a relatively privileged life; they are fed well and does not fully understand and grasp the scale of raging war. They despise the German troops and collaborationists and repeat the propaganda clichés about filthy Bolsheviks. For them Jews are outsiders and, in reality, they do not care about them.

During Holocaust in France, the French society often distinguished between «Les Israelites» and «Les Juifs». The first category was considered French with a different surname and they were accorded compassion and possible protection; the latter category was treated, in the best case, with indifference and, in the worst case, they were handed to Gestapo.

As in «Lacombe Lucien», Louis Malle does not try to paint the history brighter than it was in reality. The French society is trying to lead an ordinary life and the worst among them are trying to profit from it or join the collaborationists. The film avoids simple caricatures, even in its portrayal of German soldiers.

The Christian theme played a prominent role in Nazi propaganda. The Nazis tried to portray the war as a noble Christian Crusade against godless Judeo-Bolshevism. Obviously, the Christian themes became compromised in the minds of certain Europeans, including students of this particular boarding school.

The children are not interested in boring sermons about compassion, charity and corruption of wealth. In reality, they should listen to it, because their teachers are living those values and not using them as a propaganda tool. One day they will understand it and it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. But what can children learn about courage, if their parents are passive? The answer is up to you.

«Au Revoir Les Enfants» is a haunting film about real Christian values and a genuine moral courage of a few. Watch it and think.