"Are there any other Jews among you?"

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2018)

Apart from the film's being somewhat autobiographical in nature for director Louis Malle, I didn't find the story to be that compelling. It lacks dramatic tension, as events that seem to be building into a confrontation with the Nazis all seem to dissipate for one reason or another. One example would be when Julien (Gaspard Manesse) and Jean (Raphael Fejtö) accidentally encounter the German soldiers seeking their way back from the outdoor competition. They're brought back to St. John's without much fanfare. A better example might be the scene that took place in the restaurant when French Vichy authorities attempted to rid an elderly Jewish customer and a Nazi officer came to his defense! Perhaps these events actually occurred and were witnessed by a young Malle during his childhood, but they didn't seem to translate dramatically on screen. Even the classroom removal of Jean Bonnet/Kippelstein didn't engender any real fear or paranoia as I expected it would; it simply proceeded along rather matter of factly. Of course the horrific message is brought home in the closing moments when Julien recounts the eventual demise of his classmates and school principal, but because it's dealt with as an off screen event AND as a forty year old memory, the impact is not what it could have been.
I don't think the film had to entice us with scenes of brutality or the horrible scourge of the Nazis to make it's point, but I couldn't help feeling that there was something significant lacking in the picture. By contrast, I would point the reader in the direction of what might be the most disturbing movie I've seen regarding the fate of young Jewish children, indeed, it might be the most disturbing movie I've seen given any subject. That would be 2008's "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", with a decidedly emotional ending that conveys an unusual twist. On a somewhat different level, there's also 2004's "Before the Fall", which examines German students in a schoolroom setting as this movie does for the French, and how those chosen to become members of the Nazi elite dealt with their unconventional status.