LES CHORISTES/THE CHORUS
France, 2004, 96 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Jugnot, François Berleand, Jean- Baptiste Maunier, Jacques Perrin, Marie Bunel.
Directed by Christophe Barratier.
To sir with music.
One of the most popular films at the French box-office in many years followed by BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language film. It would be hard not to enjoy it and applaud a story of a dedicated teacher who improves the quality of life for his problem students. But it is both sweeter and tougher than the usual rebel class/heroic teacher movie.
Director Christophe Barratier was a child musician himself and felt the need to express something in his film about his own life and disappointment at not being a musician. However, he has paid tribute to music, especially choral music, and the beauty and clarity of young voices. He had been impressed by a 1945 French film, The Cage of Nightingales, directed by Jacques Dreville and starring Noel Noel, and thought it would be the vehicle to rewrite to bring his school and chorus to life. He has relocated the film to 1949 when the French government was trying to improve its understanding of children and their problems, introducing psychological profiling. (To have updated it to the present would have made too difficult demands to dramatise contemporary urban problems with modern music and song; Barratier said he could focus on the music more carefully by staying in the past.)
The film opens with a successful conductor visited by an old schoolfriend with a diary of the teacher who taught them to sing. He reads the diary and it comes to life. The school is one of those old French Dickensian institutions, run by a disappointed teacher who takes out his frustrations in biting language and cruel punishment of his boys (who are problem children, sons of single mothers, boys with criminal tendencies and war orphans). There are grim scenes in the refectory, the dormitory, the classroom. And most of the action takes place in winter.
Matthieu Clement (a middle-aged, balding, chubby failed musician, Gerard Jugnot) takes up a job as a supervisor at this school, trying to follow the rules of the principal, acting as a disciplinarian with the boys. However, he allows his natural kindness to emerge and discovers that many of the boys can sing. Gradually and happily, he forms the choir and builds it to concert pitch. The sweetness includes the music itself, the troubled boy who has an angelic voice and a little orphan for whom Matthieu becomes a father-figure.
The toughness (which led the British censor to give the film a 12A certificate where children under 12 can see the film only if they are accompanied by an adult) includes a few swear words, some boyish crudities and an allusion to the possibilities of sexual abuse – a touch of realism in a school where the boys were difficult and the treatment harsh.
The music is attractive. The screen presence and singing voice of young Jean Baptiste Maunier, the performances of the adults moving and the inspirational tone of the film make it satisfying and intelligent entertainment.
1. The popularity of the film? Awards? Oscar nomination? Choirs, boys choirs, the range of music?
2. French sensibility, the director and his musical background? The range of music?
3. The 1949 setting, post-war, institutions for boys, authoritarianism, the name of the institution, Fond Letting (), discipline, the boys, homeless, single parents? Mischief, life in the institution? The boys’ talents and the response to kindliness and exercise of talent?
4. The 1999 framework, the conductor returning to the school, meeting his friend, the reminiscences, the diary?
5. Rashid, his personality, relationship with his staff, his severity, the boys and discipline, punishment, reactions?
6. Matthieu, his arrival at the institution, as a person, his talent, music, choir, relationship with the staff, the boys, resistance, but response, their making up rude songs about him? The caretaker, the injury, his shielding the boy, getting to take care of the caretaker?
7. Morehange, the actor and his singing talent, his age, personality, background, relationship with his single mother, refusing to sing, discovered singing by himself, his response, leading the choir, his achievement? And the framework with his success as a conductor?
8. Rashid and the clashes with Mondain, the beatings, running away, the stealing of the cash, discovering that it was another boy, the setting fire to the institution? Mattheieu and his helping to put out the fire?
9. Rashid, moments of relenting, playing football, but his reaction to the various incidents? Blaming Matthieu?
10. Morehange’s mother, the attraction by Matthieu, her relationship with the engineer?
11. The goodbye, Matthieu going, the boy running after the bus, Matthieu will
