Holocaust through the eyes of children

Rating: 8/10 (2 September 2008)

I have seen a lot of movies covering the WWII era, but none from the perspective of children. This makes this movie especially poignant and moving.
It centers around boys that attend an all boys Convent school in France. It is a French foreign language film and there are subtitles in English. I'm not a big fan of subtitles, but somehow they didn't bother me here. The storytelling was engrossing enough that the subtitles seemed almost non-exist. I was able to follow along quite naturally - which for me is unusual for a foreign film.
The child actors are all quite good, especially the main ones. I did find that there were quite a few crude exchanges between the boys, that I think would have been better left out. I know they were trying to portray the gutter talk that boys will resort to when left to their own devices. I think some of the boys were a little young to be participating in this. Again, perhaps this is a product of being at an all boys school with younger and older boys mixed in together in tight living quarters.
I think this film is a great portrayal of friendship. I also believe it succeeds in showing us the worst in humanity, and balances it by showing us some of the best. I think the risk the priest took (and the ultimate sacrifice he paid because of it) shows us how in the worst of times, ordinary people rise to the occasion.