Au Revoir Les Enfants (Techniques)

Les sequences longues:

• None of the long-shots are edited, meaning that the audience is subjected to more true and realisitic events that took place during the occupation.
• The fact that they lack editing reinforces the infantile perspective of the film, as it is through the eyes of a 12 year old Louis Malle (le realisateur du film).
• Long-shots allow for the audience to move with the characters, giving the film a documentary feel to it thus making it more realisitic and heart-touching.
• Scenes that are packed with action are filmed using les sequences longues.
• Examples of les sequences longues:
• Train scene: the audience is transported into the world of Louis Malle as if it was them on the train on their way to the pensionnat. 
• Forest scene: the boys are running through the woods,we run with them, suggests that the boys are no longer safe, tension is raised.
• Bath scene: Julien lays completely still in the bath for about a minute, his face reflects off the milky water which is a signpost of Louis Malle allowing the audience to reflect on the events of the children's lives during the war just like Julien's face reflects from the bathtub. For that moment, Julien is transported back to his innocent, naive-self and is protected from the outside world and the brutality of war. The long-shot also isolates Julien as we see that he is alone in this private moment. While Julien tries to retreat from the sad, confusing world around him he is suddenly transported back to reality by being pulled out of the bath by a teacher. He was quickly pulled out of the bath which symbolises how Louis Malle (Julien) was forced to grow up quicker because of the war. Throughout the long-shots there appears to be a sense of urgency, as if there is a ticking time-bomb that will…