Truly Captivating

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2001)

My French teacher FORCED our class to watch this movie. There was collective groaning, whining, complaining, etc. I must admit, I was among the unhappy students. However, within the first 20 minutes, the movie had my full attention. I found the dialogue flawless, the characters captivating, and the plot truly intriguing, and in the final moment very sad. The acting is INCREDIBLE, any American movie with as many child characters would fail miserably.
Anyone watching this movie should NOT be discouraged by the first few minutes. This movie weaves an intricate tale of the horrors of World War II as told from the viewpoint of a boy's boarding school in France. An interesting subject indeed.
I think I have to thank my french teacher for "forcing" us to watch this. "Au revoir les enfants" has piqued my interest in french films, and truly made me realize that not every good movie is American. A must see.