Au Revoir Le Enfants
1987
Louis Malle
ECONOMIC
economic message or point of view of film maker
the economic influence or impact caused by. film or a film's productions methods
focus oneconomic, financial, political, social and philosophical issues.
SOCIAL
use of film in particular communities, identities or groups
the communities, identities, or issues represented in a film
the social values, conventions, and tradition in a film
Scene
Film Element: Mise-en-scene
Through this scene, the aspects of mise-en-scene, such as costume, set design, and acting and figure behavior, connect back to a French and once Nazi society.
Film Element: Motifs, Symbols and Themes
Through this scene, the aspects of motifs, symbols, and themes reflect on importance of economic status in society.
Cultural Context
Au revoir le enfants depicts France during the Second World War, as oppression and the holocust took over the country. It was a society now dominated by Nazi ideologies, and social oppression. These ideologies are furthered demonstrated through the authority, the division in classes, and the habits the costumes, the acting, and the setting that can be seen in this scene demonstrate. They remark the key aspects of what real life in France was like during 1944.
Cultural Context
Through this scene, the importance of economic is stressed, due to the shield it provides to those who stand on the right side of the issue. For example, in Amsterdam, of the Jewish people, only 25.9% survived the Holocaust, and was mostly in part to the different socio-economic classes in place in the Jewish community. Those who were higher in the ladder had more resources, therefore allowing them to be safer. This is exemplified in the restaurant scene when the elder and proper Jewish man is bothered by the Nazi soldiers. Due to his economic status it presented him with advantages, such as support from the public eye.
"Having witnessed some the events depicted film firsthand, Malle understands the conflicting duality of the French people in terms of doing what is right, and what won’t get them into trouble. To quote Edmund Burke, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing' and Malle captures this essence in the faces and actions of French citizens in the film who want to protect the Jews, yet at the same time, view self-preservation as the most important item, and thus, did not stand up to the Nazis." Emma. “Film Review: AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (Louis Malle, 1987).” Film Review: AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (Louis Malle, 1987), 4 Sept. 2016, zummer.blogspot.com/2016/09/film-review-au-revoir-les-enfants-louis.html.
Scene
“The film portrays the “free” France of the Vichy regime under Marshal Pétain, depicting the different sections of French society and their responses to the collaboration and the German presence in France." Tal, Asaf. “Au Revoir Les Enfants.” Yadvashem.org, www.yadvashem.org/education/educational-materials/film-reviews/goodbye-children.html.
Quote
Quote
This scene is the scene in which Julien, and his family along with Jean Bonnet go out to lunch, following visit day at their Catholic Jesuit birding school. During their time at lunch "local civilian milita" try to eject a Jewish elderly who is having lunch, when the German officers ask the milita to leave.
This scene is the scene in which Julien, and his family along with Jean Bonnet go out to lunch, following visit day at their Catholic Jesuit birding school. During their time at lunch "local civilian milita" try to eject a Jewish elderly who is having lunch, by asking for his papers. One of the servers tries to stop the milita from taking the Jewish man out, but it is the German officers that get them to leave.
The aspect of set design of the restaurant Le Grand Cerf, plays a role in the social aspects of the overall film, given it depicts a well established restaurant, for those of higher social classes. Every table is set with the proper table etiquette , bottles of what appear to be expensive champagne or drinks fill the table, along with . Furthermore the overall restaurant is a symbol of the higher class society and their neglactance to those of lower class.
The aspect of acting and figure behavior comes into play, in the way that the milita, and the German soldiers both act. When the milita is first faced with the Jew, they talk to him as if he was an illiterate, and stand high, straight, and still while holding their guns on their hips to symbolize the idea of power and great authority they have over the rest of the people there. It remarks this idea of a community, or a group of people and the social values that they stand for. When it comes to the German soldiers, they are drunk, and their body language depicts the idea of a drained mentality, and the desire to escape the community that they form a part of, or that because of the system, they are now forced to form a part of.
The aspect of costumes can be seen through the outfits the Quentin family wear. They depict a group of people that during that particular time belonged to what was considered a high class society. While the mother dresses in a fancy dress, depicting her high education, her high economic class, the two boys dress in their appropriate church fit, depicting the religion ideologies that formed part of this time period . Furthermore the militas uniform, along with that of the Germans further depicts their status in society. They are the authority, and for some they are the ones they fear. During this time period, they represent more than soldiers, they represent oppression and a society dominated by hate and unrealistic ideologies
Costume
Acting and Figure Behavior
Set Design
An elderly Jewish man was smoking a cigarette in the scene and was promptly met with confrontation from a Nazi soldier, despite his "proper" appearance. The cigarettes symbolizes his rebellious nature, being a jew, and is justified by the confrontation he had with the Nazi soldier.
Themes present in this scene is the importance of economic status, as in the example above of the elder Jewish man, his saving grace was his economic stature. Without his apparent high status, the people in the restaurant would have been less apt to aid him. With his high economic status, he has more leeway than one who is lower in the economic ladder.
The restraunt scene uses symbols to depict Julien and his family's higher class with the use of such as the beret Julien's mother was wearing, which symbolizes her independence and higher class. This is important, as their economic status, along with the religious beliefs, protect them from oppression from the Nazi regime.