Movies. Films. Movie Fans. Film Lovers. I debated the use of the word “Movie” in the headline. I tend to think there’s a perceived difference between the word “Movie” and “Film” in some instances. “Film,” I believe, is frequently reserved for those examples of the art form that tend to appeal to a smaller, more specific audience. “Movie,” on the other hand, tends to infer general audiences and studio fare. This is no insult, so don’t look for any deeper meaning, just a distinction. It’s a distinction I think many would make when referring to most any of the films included in Criterion’s prestigious collection. But when I believe a film can be widely loved by more than just a dedicated Criterion audience I think it’s important to say so. Louis Malle’s Au Revoir les Enfants is one of those films.
Criterion has spiffed up their previous DVD release of Malle’s 1987 Oscar-nominated feature, that earned both a Best Foreign Language nomination as well as a nomination for Malle’s screenplay, into the ultimate edition no longer giving you an excuse not to buy it.
As if viewed through a freshly cleaned window, Au Revoir les Enfants is a peek into Malle’s childhood in a Catholic boarding school during World War II. On the cover of his screenplay he writes, Memory serving as a springboard for imagination, I reinvented the past in the pursuit of a haunting and timeless truth. I referred to this same process of imagination in my review of Federico Fellini’s Amarcord and while both offer up a world into two of cinema’s great filmmakers the end result couldn’t be any more different. The features on this Criterion release dig into Malle’s “truth,” but not before beautifully displaying Malle’s haunting reinvention.
Au Revoir centers on the story of two young school boys. Julien Quintin (Gaspard Manesse) is a French boy meant to be Malle, though the features on this disc will be quick to tell you the two aren’t necessarily one and the same. Jean Bonnet (Raphael Fejtö) is one of a trio of Jewish boys hiding in the aforementioned Catholic boarding school under a false identity during World War II. The two boys soon come to be friends in a not too typical way, almost out of a growing respect more than anything else and it leads to a powerful ending.
Manesse and Fejtö are both spectacular in their roles and a lot of this is due to their ability to emote without dialogue. Malle’s screenplay, thankfully, shies from too much exposition allowing for situation and faces to tell the story. This is evident in a series of scenes, but to me none more powerful than a scene as Jean sits down with Julien and his family for lunch. It’s a scene I quickly found to likely be one of many inspirations for Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds if you’re interested in modern comparisons as Melanie Laurent as Emmanuelle Mimieux sat down with Frederick Zoeller and Joseph Goebbels as Christoph Waltz walks up as Hans Landa. The two scenes share in their sense of concern over the two characters being found out, but Malle’s picture also adds a sense of youthful exuberance as Jean Bonnet soaks in his environment out of both fear and admiration.
The included features on this release mirror those found on the previously released DVD, though all are bumped up to high definition. The 31-minute interview with Pierre Billard is eye-opening and the nearly 15 minute feature with Candice Bergen discussing her late husband’s career is excellent. Also included is the Charlie Chaplin short film “The Immigrant” which is featured in the film.
I don’t typically like saying Criterion Collection releases are “must buys” because while each release feels so special and such care is taken by Criterion to make sure all of their releases are the very best they can be, they are also quite expensive as a result. To that end I feel it’s important to take care in my recommendations of each Criterion title so when I say one of their releases is a “must buy” you believe it and don’t think I am once again advising you spend a large sum of money on a film you may only watch once.
To take this back to my opening statement, Au Revoir les Enfants is not simply an art house film to be loved by art house fanatics. It is a film made for all audiences. It’s touching, harrowing and heartfelt. You’ll be hard-pressed not to fall for each of its characters. Connect with their plight and wish them the best. It is an absolute show-stopper and a film I consider a must buy.
