Jeux Interdits Film Guide Brendan Maher
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Jeux Interdits
Jeux Interdits
Film Guide Brendan Maher
fresh film festival 2006 Jeux Interdits
Jeux Interdits Introduction Director Rene Clément
aka Forbidden Games Rene Clément’s 1952 film explores Despite numerous awards and a
the emotional trauma of war on career that covered over forty years
Directori Rene Clément/ a five-year-old girl, how she deals in cinema, Rene Clément died in com-
France/1952/87 mins/b&w) with this trauma and also, how it is parative obscurity in 1996.
reflected in the world around her. Clément was born in Bordeaux
Cast Set during the Second World War, in 1913 and studied architecture at
Brigitte Fossey Paulette five-year-old Paulette’s parents are the Ecole Des Beaux Arts. Here he
Georges Poujouly Michel Dollé killed as her family is fleeing a Nazi developed an interest in film-making.
Lucien Hubert Dollé, the Father attack. She comes into the care of In 1936, he directed his first film,
Suzanne Courtal Mme Dollé the country peasant Dollé family and ‘Soigne ton gauche’ a 20-minute
Jacques Marin Georges Dollé becomes friends with their little boy short starring comic actor Jacques
Laurence Badie Berthe Dollé Michel. Michel and Paulette, con- Tati. Clément continued to make
Andre Wasley Gouard, the Father fronted by death around them, build short films up until 1945 when he
Amedee Francis Gouard a small graveyard for animals – pets filmed the French Resistance story
Denise Pereonne Jeanne Gouard or farm animals that have died. The ‘La bataille du Rail’ aka ‘The Battle
Louis Sainteve Priest children’s attempts to perfect the of the Rails’ which won a major prize
Pierre Merovee Raymond Dollé graveyard bring them into conflict at the Cannes Film Festival. Over the
with the adult world. However the following years Clément’s reputation
Production children perhaps are only replicating, soared and he won Best Foreign Film
Producer Robert Dorfmann in a more simple and innocent form, Oscars for ‘Au-delà des grilles’ aka
Director Rene Clément the inherent hypocrisies and petty ‘The Walls of Malapaga’ (1948) and
Writer J ean Aurenche, Pierre Bost, jealousies of that world. ‘Jeux interdits’ (1952).
Rene Clément Clément’s film is often Clément’s skill is that of the
Adapted from the novel described as an anti-war film and it detached observer, allowing his
‘Les Jeux Inconnus’ by Francois Boyer certainly works on that level. The film characters to make a link with the
Editor Roger Dwyre also offers and unusual and calm audience. His films are calm and
Musical Composer Narciso Yepes reflection on the nature of psychologi- reserved, preserving a natural tone,
Art Director Paul Bertrand cal trauma and how it reveals itself. without the director making any
Cinematographer Robert Juillard The honours go to Clément and his major flourishes within the story. This
two young leads, who are up to the non-leading style however is all the
task of bringing this difficult subject more compelling given the audience’s
to the screen. strong recognition of character and
situation in his films.
Clément continued to have
international success with several
films and his 1960 film ‘Plein Soleil’
aka ‘Purple Noon’ should be noted.
It’s based on the book ‘The Talented
Mr. Ripley’ by Patricia Highsmith (it
was more recently made into a film by
director Anthony Minghella with Matt
Damon as Ripley). Clément’s 1966
star-studded epic ‘Paris brûle-t-il?
aka ‘Is Paris Burning?’ written by
American writer Gore Vidal and nas-
cent director Francis Ford Coppola
was however, a box office failure.
Clément’s cinematic style
was over-taken somewhat by the
more knowing styles of the French
fresh film festival 2006Jeux Interdits
Nouvelle Vague movement in the Michel brings her back to his ensues between the two families.
1960’s and 70’s. However he did have house, a small cottage, and the The local priest reveals that Michel is
some minor successes with later films, family who is called Pollé accepts her. the thief of the crosses.
making his last film in 1975. In 1984 Paulette buries her dog in an Michel runs away. Sneaking
the French motion picture industry hon- old mill and Michel helps. He makes back home to speak to Paulette he
oured him with a special César Award a cross to mark the site. The children finds that the police have arrived, not
for a lifetime contribution to film. begin to bury all the dead creatures to arrest him however, but to bring
they find – a mole, chickens, etc. her to an orphanage. His father prom-
Synopsis Michel even kills some insects in ises that Paulette can stay, if Michel
June 1940, Paris is falling to the Ger- order to have more creatures to bury. tells them where the crosses are.
man invasion. Five year-old Paulette Death also comes to the Pollé Michel relents, telling him of the old
flees the city with her parents. On a house, when Michel’s brother Georg- mill. His father breaks his promise
country road, the Nazi planes bomb es, injured in an earlier accident, and Paulette is taken away.
the refugees. Paulette’s dog runs up dies. Michel, egged on by Paulette, Michel goes to the mill and
the road, she chases after him, her steals crosses from the hearse and destroys the graveyard.
parents following her. Her parents from the church, in order to put them Paulette is brought by a nun
are killed in the attack. Moved on by up in the animal graveyard. to a holding area and told that she
the swell of people, the separated The Pollé’s are having a is going to an orphanage. As the
Paulette carries the lifeless body of disagreement with their next door nun goes away on other business,
her dog into the countryside, where neighbours, the Gouards and when the waiting Paulette walks into the
she encounters Michel, a nine-year the cross goes missing from their crowded area and disappears amidst
old boy. recently buried brother’s grave, a fight the throng of people.
fresh film festival 2006 Jeux Interdits
Production Details
Historical Background One of the most interesting aspects
of ‘Jeux Interdits’ production is the
The film is set during the Second World War (1939-45) and the film’s main fact the film started off as a short
action set piece, the air raid, is a defining moment. However, whilst there is film. This original short was to be
talk of deserters between the feuding families with Gouard’s son returning the middle part of a film with three
from battle, the majority of the film is set in a pastoral France, away from distinct segments. Funds dried up for
the fighting. The following timeline should give an indication on outside the full film with just ‘Jeux Interdits’
events during the time the film is set in: shot. Clément presented the short
to producer Robert Dorfmann who be-
September 1939 June 10th lieved that there was more of a story
Britain and France declare war on Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini to be told and the film was extended
Nazi Germany following Germany’s declares war on France. and new funding secured. The cast
invasion of Poland. and crew reconvened a year later to
June 11th complete work. The child actors had
10th May 1940 Paris is under threat by rapidly grown slightly and dresses and trou-
Hitler launches attack on Western advancing German forces. The sers had to be lengthened. Georges
front and invades France. capital is declared an ‘open city’ Pojouly (Michel) also had to wear a
– meaning that the city is unde- wig for these new scenes as his hair
23rd May fended and should not be attacked had been cut for a different film, in
The German Army breaks through or bombed. This measure is taken the intervening time. The outcome is
French lines at Sedan. to protect remaining civilians, who virtually un-noticeable with the new
have not evacuated. scenes merging faultlessly with the
4th June original production.
340,000 British, French and June 13th
Belgian forces evacuate from Dun- French troops abandon Paris Trauma
kirk in Northern France. ‘Trauma’ can mean the physical as-
June 14th pects of an injury, however in psychia-
June 7th German troops enter Paris. try, ‘trauma’ has assumed a different
Rommel’s VII Panzer Division meaning and refers to an experience
advance to Forges-les-Eaux - June 16th that is emotionally painful, distress-
37 miles in two days. French Prime Minister Paul Raynaud’s ful, or shocking, which often results in
cabinet, located in Bordeaux, is lasting mental and physical effects.
June 8th ousted by Marshall Pétain. In ‘Jeux Interdits’, it’s obvious
French troops withdraw from the that Paulette is emotionally trau-
Somme region. June 17th matized by the loss of her parents.
Pétain broadcast to the French Added to this, is the fact that she
people urging them to stop fighting. hasn’t been given any chance to
He also asks the Germans for the grieve her loss. She takes her dog’s
terms of an armistice. body with her, perhaps because it is
something she can carry that repre-
22nd June sents her loss.
Pétain signs armistice with Germany. In burying the dog, Paulette
France is divided into occupied and begins a ritual in which she may
unoccupied zones. The Germans be playing out her grief - a way of
directly control three-fifths of the compensating for not having had the
country including northern and western opportunity with her parent’s death.
France and the entire Atlantic coast. The ritual becomes even more
The remaining section of the country elaborate as time goes on, with the
is to be administered by a French number of animals in the cemetery
government at Vichy under Pétain. increasing and also in the develop-
ment of the ritual i.e. the names of
fresh film festival 2006Jeux Interdits
the animals; the wish to put up more belief that an individual’s free will is and human by making animals the
beautiful crosses. not central to their actions but rather cause of future human actions e.g.
Taking their lead from adult rit- that their actions are the result of ex- Paulette’s dog running away, Michel’s
uals, the children re-enact the burial ternal forces such as one’s heredity cow escaping and the horse being
rite. Paulette is innocently going with and environment. frightened by the plane and injur-
both her feelings and taking from the This viewpoint would suggest ing Georges Dollé. In this way, the
adult world. Michel is more conscious that human beings can only have a director interweaves the lives of brute
of what he is doing, understanding limited control over their lives and animals with the lives of the humans.
right and wrong but perhaps wanting that indeed, they may act in a similar Paulette and Michel’s animal
to please this little girl. fashion to animals. graveyard becomes as elaborate as
The film suggests that Pau- This notion can clearly be seen the human cemetery, because Pau-
lette does not ultimately complete at work in ‘Jeux Interdits’ because lette wishes it so. Michel is obliged to
her grieving process and she is the film’s action is dictated by: steal from the church and graveyard
doomed to wander. Michel on the oth- a) The savage bombing of the and put the crosses in the animal
er hand, deals with his unhappiness fleeing refugees. graveyard and in this way, the human
in losing Paulette at the end of the and internally or instinctively, by and animal world are mixed together.
film though another outlet – anger. b) Paulette’s unconcious desire Paulette’s unconcious need to grieve
to deal with her loss. does not make distinctions between
Style: Story human and animal.
Although not overt, Clément’s film Furthermore, Clément This mixing of the human
story veers towards naturalism – a expands this link between animal and animal world can then be traced
fresh film festival 2006 Jeux Interdits
back to the start of the film and the (e.g. keeping the grave tidy, saying Further information
essential savagery of the Nazi attack prayers) than any inner spirituality. Books/Articles
on the fleeing people. This attack is It interesting to note that Michel 1001 films you must see before
reflected in Michel’s blatant killing of is asked to recite prayers for his you die
the cockroach. The adult, child and brother. The rest of the family does ed. Stephen Jay Schneider,
animal world are interlinked. not seem to know them. pub. Cassell, 2003
Comic Interlude Summing Up Children In the Movies
Running alongside the main story of Jeux Interdits is rightly regarded as Neil Sinyard, pub. Batsford Books,
the creation of the animal cemetery a classic of French cinema. Disimilar 1992
is the story of the feud between the to other films dealing with trauma,
Dollé’s and the Gouards. We have it doesn’t attempt to bluntly state Death and the Maiden
no notion of when this feud began, cause and effect. Instead it is left to Essay by Peter Matthews as part of
but we are introduced to it in the first the audience to make connections Criterion Collection DVD edition of
scene outside the Dollé’s house. with the actions of the children and ‘Jeux Interdits’
Elements of the feud relate to adults in the film. The film is natu-
a suggested desertion by Raymond ralistic in style and in view, with the The Complete Film Dictionary
Dollé from the army, a jealousy over children’s characters being driven Ira Konigsberg, pub. Bloomsbury, 1997
Francis Gouard’s supposed bravery by external factors far out of their
and medal-winning and Michel Dol- control. Clément attempts to link all Websites
lé’s movements around the Gouard behaviour in the film as base and ‘Andre Bazin on Rene Clément and
house. Ultimately the feud is depict- fundamental, with the pettiness literary adaptation: Two original
ed as comic and provides moments and cruelty of the adult world, the reviews’: www.findarticles.com
of light relief throughout the story. innocence of the children and the
Both families are seen as wildness of brute beast undefined Information on Trauma:
petty-minded buffoons who take and interconnected. www.trauma-pages.com
a particular delight in seeing the
other family fail. The result of their Other Films
animosity is the fight in the grave- La Regle Du Jeu aka The Rules of
yard between both fathers, which is the Game
broken up by the priest’s revelation Dir Jean Renoir/France/1939
that Michel is the one who has stolen
the crosses. The Pied Piper
The family’s interaction with Dir. Irving Pichel/USA/1942
the Church is interesting also in that
they seem concerned that Paulette Jean De Florette
has no knowledge of religion (the film Dir. Claude Berri/France/1986
may suggest that she is in fact Jew-
ish). However, it is evident that the Empire of the Sun
family are religious on the surface Dir. Stephen Spielberg/USA/1987
only and are more interested in the
outward displays of religion
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