ENTRE LES MURS

France, 2008, 128 minutes, Colour.
Francois Begaudeau.
Directed by Laurent Cantet.

Entre les Murs is a documentary at heart, but offers its audience a compelling narrative. Based on a book by journalist Francois Begaudeau and the experience of following a class through an academic year, the film recreates this situation under the eye of director Laurent Cantet who won multiple awards for his 1999 social drama, Resources Humaines and directed the film about middle age and finding one’s personal values, Emploi de Temps.

The children portrayed in the film worked with the director for the year. Most of the parents are themselves. The group workshopped the situations with the director, finding ways to express their characters, their frustrations, their hopes, for the film drama. Begaudeau himself plays the part of the principal teacher.

He teaches French and the screenplay gives a great emphasis to the meanings of language, asking the group to write their portraits (rather than their autobiographies) and finally gets them all to express something that they have learned during the year.

Francois is generally genial but has a tendency to irony if not sarcasm. He encourages free expression but is definite about decorum and discipline. He is not always in control and some of the students know how to be stubborn or manipulative. When he loses it later in the film and two girls report him for insulting them – he is critical of their behaviour at a staff meeting where they are the student representatives and their breaching confidentiality in letting students know about the discussions – he is in danger of losing his job. We see him in discussions with other teachers, with the principal and with the members of the Board.

The main drama concerns a student originally from Mali, Soulemayne, who has chips on his shoulder, is disruptive in class and is finally reported for suspension or expulsion. Decisions about Soulemayne are tests of how the audience would respond in similar circumstances.

Cantet captures a great deal of adolescent life even though the camera is confined to the school, mostly in the classroom. The film also raises many questions about the nature of education, the processes of learning, class management and discipline and issues of respect. Teachers and students at this age may find it invaluable for discussion.

Cannes 2008 Palme D'Or winner.

1.The impact of the film? Its winning at Cannes? Themes of education, for France, for world audiences?

2.The director and his films, social concern?

3.Francois Begaudeau, his experience, writing the book, adapting it for the screen, giving advice, acting?

4.The focus on the school, the classroom, the corridors, the staff room, the yard? The unobtrusive camerawork to give a sense of realism? The score?

5.The French title? The English title? The emphases?

6.The opening, the teachers arriving, Francois going to work, the group, the range of staff and their introductions, their reaction to the children? Their subjects? The principal? The drink and celebration for the beginning of the school year?

7.The corridor, the classroom, entering, the children mucking around, Francois and his explanation of fifteen minutes’ wasted time? Esmeralda and her questioning that it was not one hour?

8.The names of the children, on the desk, the reactions, the indications of rooms, students, discipline, difficulties? Francois and his talking, reasonable, regulations? The reactions and disobedience? Rebukes? Jokes, irony, arguments? The report book? The staff meetings? The principal and his role? Issues of expulsion?

9.Francois and his teaching French, the importance of language, the meanings of words, the tenses of verbs, the book about Ann Frank? The reading, the difficulties? The assignment of the self-portrait (rather than an autobiography)? Souleymane and his refusal, his taking the photos, the collage, Francois putting it on the board, commending his attempt? The debate about the African Cup and football?

10.The blunt questions from the students, the issue of homosexuality, the use of (in the translation) ‘skank’? The jokes?

11.The staff discussion, the concern about Wei and his mother’s deportation, the pregnant teacher and the toast, the arguments about discipline, the various stances? The young teacher and his outburst against the students? The meetings, Esmeralda and Louise as the student representatives, their fooling around and giggling during the meeting, the aftermath and their giving information to the students? The board, the procedures? Francois and his report, yet his plea concering Souleymane? The parents objecting to his presence at the board meeting? The vote?

12.The ending, Francois asking the children what they had learnt during the year? The differences? Esmeralda and her reading Plato? The girl who stayed back and said she hadn’t learnt anything?

13.The scenes in the yard, the playing, the fighting, jokes, the ending and the staff and students playing football?

14.Francois as a person, his experience, his strictness, what he permitted in class, jokes, irony and sarcasm, his demands for respect, his attitude towards the staff, Souleymane and the interactions, the insults, taking him to the principal? The argument with the two girls and his losing credibility? The effect, the rumours, the criticisms? The final sequence and everything back to normal, even Esmeralda joking about the insult? Seeing him with the parents – and his interest in the students and his concern at Parents’ Night?

15.The portrait of the students:
Souleymane as the main focus, from Mali, inability to write, sitting at the back, direct in his comments, the question about homosexuality, his insults to the others, especially the girls, his photos and the collage, the fight, his leaving the room, Francois taking him to the principal? The meeting with his mother and brother, his mother not speaking French, the discussions, the verdict – and his prospect of being returned to Marley by his angry father? The reaction of his mother after the meeting?
Esmeralda, cheeky, asking questions, moody, her questions about words, wanting to be a policewoman, as a representative, giggling at the meeting, the insult, her teaming with Louise, the yard argument with Francois, the end and her having read Plato?
Louise, representative, giving the reports to the other students?
Wei, clever, language, the mother’s visit, her being deported – but the end glimpse of her being with her son in the yard?
Khouba, her moods, refusing to read, giving the apology but not meaning it, the injury from Souleymane, saying she had learnt something about music and speaking in Spanish?
Karl, expelled, his own portrait, the fight, the clash with Francois, the discussions about football?
Arthur, the discussions about his Goth appearance, his being like his peers, rebelling against them?
Nassim, clever?
The range of other students, the particular scenes, their personalities?