LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES
France, 1950, 105 minutes, Black and white.
Nicole Stephane, Edouard Dermithe, Renee Cosima, Jacques Bernard.
Directed by Jean- Pierre Melville.
Les Enfants Terrible is based on a novel and a play by celebrated French poet and artist, Jean Cocteau. He had previously written Les Parents Terrible and now follows with this focus on two teenagers, cocooned from the world.
The focus is on Elizabeth, played by Nicole Stephane, who is very protective of her brother. Paul (Edouard Dermithe) is injured in a fight with snowballs at school and has to spend his time in bed. While their mother has been an influence, she disappears from the scene leaving the two children together.
Into this enclosed atmosphere comes a young girl, Agathe, played by Renee Cosima – who also plays Paul’s friend Dagelos who injured him. Elizabeth becomes very jealous as Paul is attracted to Agathe.
The title of the film is the slang, of course, for difficult children, whatever the age. These two terrible children never grow up, depending on each other, for love and for hate. The intrusion of Agathe into their world brings an emotional crisis.
The film was directed by Jean- Pierre Melville, the celebrated French director who made such films as Leon Morin Priest as well as the gangster films with Alain Delon, Le Samourai and The Red Circle.
1. The status of this film as a French Classic? The reasons for its reputation?
2. The characteristics of the film as a French film, of the forties? The black and white photography, the use of classical music, the intense styles of acting, the depth, the rooms, realism and fantasy? The importance of the structure of the film, the commentary and narration of Jean Cocteau?
3. The film seen as a cinema essay about human nature? its appeal, entertainment, thoughtfulness for audiences? /The nature of the film and it intertwining of characters? The significance of the title?
4. The easy start of the film to involve audiences, yet the precious nature of the opening? Paul and his injury by a snowball? The fascination of the characters, their ambiguities, conflicts of will and power struggles, sickness and health, emotivity? The preoccupation with death? Audience response to these themes?
5, How could the strengths of the film be seen by tracing the experience of Paul? From the initial fascination with Dargelos to his being hurt, his fainting and the interview with the principal, the nature of his illness, his relationship with his mother, to Gerard, to Elizabeth, his being confined to his room ? The nature of his illness, the doctor’s response? The detailed manifestation of his love, intense relationship with Elizabeth, hatred and rivalry? The nature of their games and the rules, the rituals, their treasure and its contents? The lack of embarrassment in their living in the one room? Their detailed attention to one another? The impact of the mother's death and its affect? Gerard and his concern and friendship, arranging the holiday, their living it up in style, yet ignorance? The shoplifting? The fact that they were well liked by the maid? The gradual enclosing of Paul's world? His response to Elizabeth and her work? Bringing home Agathe to the house? His place in the household, the growth of love and hate, fighting? Paul's response to Michael and Elizabeth's marriage, to Michael’s death? His adapting to the new house, the vastness, retiring into his own cubicle? Everybody moving in with him? The realisation of his love and infatuation, the mistake of addressing the letter to himself, the impact of the lies and then the final truth? the continued infatuation with Dargelos? The significance of the poison and his death? The nature of the insight into his person, character, the tangle of emotions? The insight into human nature?
6. How could the same kind of insight be gained by tracing Elizabeth's life through the events in question? Her dominance and control, her control of the web? Her ability to go outside when she wanted e.g., to work and the rather long sequence of her modelling and learning to work, her engagement to Michael and the marriage? How insecure was she in herself, why did she dominate? Her relationship with the doctor and the maids? With Gerard and Agathe? The ambiguities of love and hate? Death and riches? Her reasons for the final web of lies? The impact of Paul’s death, her own death and the final scene?
7. The impression of Gerard with these two? An ordinary person, at school, visiting, friendship? Arranging the holiday, being forced to steal? yet his ignorance, infatuation with Elizabeth, being tricked into marriage? As the bringer of poison?
8. Agathe and her ordinariness? The fascination for Elizabeth? The fascination for Paul and her likeness to Dargelos? (The device of the actress playing both parts?) A simple person, confiding the truth to Elizabeth, hurt by the truth, the final confrontation with Elizabeth?
9. The contribution to the plot and atmosphere of the maid, the doctor, Gerard’s Uncle? The fact that outsiders liked the brother and sister?
10. The world of fashions and Elizabeth's work there, the discussion with the other models and Elizabeth's control in her modelling? Her control of Michael and the marriage?
11. Audience response to the final weaving of the web and all its implications? Its casting ironic doubts about the nature of the previous relationships? The inevitability of violence and death?
12, How real a world was presented to the audience, how much a fantasy world? The cinematic style changing from realism to fantasy? How valuable a film of insight into the strangeness of human response and relationships?
