Au Revoir Les Enfants- Opening Scene.

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  • Created by: jina.amin
  • Created on: 04-12-18 08:54
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  • Au Revoir Les Enfants- Opening Scene. (first 6 mins)
    • Julien's behaviour with his mother
      • He says 'Je vous deteste' to his mother. The use of the pronoun 'vous' shows the respect that he has for his mother- which highlights the fact that he comes from a 'classe aise'
        • But he says this because he is so upset to be leaving his mother. This highlights the love between them but also the immaturity of Julien.
          • Also, the fact that he holds her responsible (for his having to go to school) highlights his immaturity and naivety to a further extent- as he seems to be oblivious to the war being fought in the outside world.
            • He has to go to school due to: bombings, it was common for the 'classe aise' to send their children to a boarding school during those times.
          • We also see this love in their hug and the fact that Julien's mother gives him a big kiss on his forehead just before he goes.
            • As a result there is a large mark on his forehead (from his mother's lipstick) and this again highlights their luxurious lifestyle. Lipstick was considered a luxury during the war.
          • He is also very sad to leave her because he never knows if he will see her again. This is a very common viewpoint for kids at the time, as death was so common especially in Occupied France..
    • Julien's behaviour with his peers
      • When he is with his mother- he uses formal language. Whereas when with his peers he uses a lot of slang- despite his status.
      • He regards them as below him, and is quite aggressive towards them. He calls Sagard an idiot.
        • He acts like a know-it-all amongst his friends.
          • He is proud, arrogant, and he acts like an adult. This is because he wants to hide his 2 main weaknesses: his love for his mother, and the fact that he wets his bed.
      • When Julien walks past a bunch of his peers, they are looking at a photo of a woman- who was probably wearing very small pieces of clothing.
        • The boys seem to be admiring her body, and they are looking at the photo as a result of the lack of girls in the school
          • But also because they are growing up, and sex wasn't spoken about very often during that time.
          • The boys say: 'elle est bien roulée' which is slang for her looking good
          • Whereas, Julien says that 'elle n'a pas de nichons' which is slang for her breasts. He seems to act like the know-it-all to almost stamp his authority amongst the other kids.
    • Francois' behaviour with his mother
      • Francois' relationship with his mother contrasts heavily with Julien's relationship with his mother.
        • They seem to act more as friends, rather than the mother having authority over Francois.
        • There is also a role reversal, Francois says :soyez sage' which means: 'be good'
          • Perhaps he is indicating that his mother may be having an affair with another man. This was very common in that time, because the father is always at work.
            • So they may remain married, but they may live separately. This is because divorce was frowned upon in society- especially amongst:'la classe aise'
    • Colours
      • The clothes of the general public are either black, grey or navy
        • Which highlights the povetry in France at that time. But this contrasts with the clothes that Julien's mother wears.
          • She wears a fur coat, with red lipstick which is colourful. This highlights her upper class
            • This represents the inequalities in society
      • The lighting is quite dull

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