Au revoir les enfants (1987)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Louis Malle

Writer:

Louis Malle (scenario)

Release Date:

December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

A French boarding school run by priests seems to be a haven from World War II until a new student arrives...

Plot Keywords:

School | Boy | Boarding School | Class | Catholic

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 22 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Gaspard Manesse	...	Julien Quentin
Raphael Fejtö	...	Jean Bonnet / Jean Kippelstein
Francine Racette	...	Mme Quentin
Stanislas Carré de Malberg	...	François Quentin (as Stanislas Carré De Malberg)
Philippe Morier-Genoud	...	Père Jean
François Berléand	...	Père Michel
François Négret	...	Joseph
Peter Fitz	...	Muller
Pascal Rivet	...	Boulanger
Benoît Henriet	...	Ciron
Richard Leboeuf	...	Sagard
Xavier Legrand	...	Babinot
Arnaud Henriet	...	Negus
Jean-Sébastien Chauvin	...	Laviron
Luc Etienne	...	Moreau (as Luc Étienne)
Daniel Edinger	...	Tinchaut
Marcel Bellot	...	Guibourg
Ami Flammer	...	Florent
Irène Jacob	...	Mlle Davenne
Jean-Paul Dubarry	...	Père Hippolyte
Jacqueline Staup	...	Infirmière
Jacqueline Paris	...	Mme Perrin
René Bouloc	...	Le restaurateur
Alain Clément
Michael Rottstock
Detlef Gericke
Michael Becker
Thomas Friedl
Christian Sohn
Michel Ginot
Philippe Despaux

Directed by
Louis Malle

Writing credits
Louis Malle		(scenario)

Produced by
Louis Malle	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Renato Berta

Film Editing by
Emmanuelle Castro

Casting by
Jeanne Biras
Iris Carrière		(as Iris Carriere)

Production Design by
Willy Holt

Costume Design by
Corinne Jorry

Makeup Department
Susan Robertson	....	hair stylist
Susan Robertson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jean-Yves Asselin	....	unit manager
Jérôme Boussier	....	assistant unit manager
Gérald Molto	....	production manager (as Gerald Molto)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mathieu Amalric	....	trainee assistant director
Patrick Cartoux	....	second assistant director
Yann Gilbert	....	assistant director

Art Department
Benoît Clémenceau	....	property master: furniture
Michel Grimaud	....	property master

Sound Department
Daniel Couteau	....	foley artist
Jean-Pierre Duret	....	sound assistant
Jean-Claude Laureux	....	sound
Bernard Leroux	....	sound co-mixer
Jacques Lévy	....	post-synchronization (as Jacques Levy)
Claude Villand	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Jeanne-Louise Bulliard	....	still photographer
Stephane Cresta	....	key grip (as Stéphane Cresta)
Jean-Marie Fadier	....	second assistant camera
Marc Koninckx	....	Steadicam operator
Robert Prévost	....	chief electrician
Jean-Paul Toraille	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Sylvie Meyer	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hélène Robin	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Didier Jouyaux	....	editor trainee
Marie-France Poulizac	....	assistant editor (as Marie France Poulizac)

Other crew
Chantal Desmoulins	....	production secretary
Christian Ferry	....	production consultant
Miyoko Gushiken	....	hats
Alain Guyard	....	location manager
France Lachapelle	....	script supervisor (as France La Chapelle)
Eva Simonet	....	press attache
Bernadette Zinck	....	production accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Jérôme Baroni	....	thanks
Nicolas Beaugrand	....	thanks
Frank Cocteaux	....	thanks
Samy Costet	....	thanks
Jean-Marc Crappé	....	thanks
François Cros	....	thanks
Philippe Doyen	....	thanks
Pascal François	....	thanks
Erwin Huck	....	thanks
Sébastien Lelaizant	....	thanks
Stéphane Moreau	....	thanks
Jérôme Navarro	....	thanks
J.Ch. Negrevergne	....	thanks
J.Ph. Negrevergne	....	thanks
Sylvain Paul	....	thanks
Xavier Pouchin	....	thanks
Philippe Rolin	....	thanks
Alvaro Rubio	....	thanks
François Rubio	....	thanks
Damien Salot	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF) (as Nouvelles Éditions de Films S.A., Paris)
• MK2 Productions (Paris)
• Stella Film (as Stella Film GmbH, Munich)
• N.E.F. Filmproduktion und Vertriebs (I) (as N.E.F. GmbH. Munich)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (support) (as Centre National du Cinéma)
• Soficas Investimages (support) (as Sofica Investimage)
• Images Investissements (support)
• Sofica Créations (support)
• Rai Uno Radiotelevisione (participation) (as RAI Uno)

Distributors

• MK2 Diffusion (1987) (France) (theatrical)
• Arte Vidéo (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Orion Classics (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Orion Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Transmundo Films (1988) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1988) (Argentina) (VHS)
• VCL Communications (????) (Germany) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Éditions Gallimard  book publisher
• Cinécam  camera equipment
• Les Films Michel François  titles
• S.N.C.F.  thanks
• Studio Philippe Sarde  auditorium
• Studios de Billancourt  auditorium (as Paris-Studio-Billancourt)
• Transpalux  electrical equipment

Also Known As:

Auf Wiedersehen, Kinder (West Germany)
Le nouveau (France) (working title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

France | West Germany

Language:

French | German | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:6 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Institution Sainte-Croix, Provins, Seine-et-Marne, France

Company:

Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF)

Trivia:

Based on an incident from Louis Malle's own youth.

Goofs:

Continuity: When in the woods and running from his 'captors,' Julien hides in the rocks. During this sequence, his hair changes between shots.

Quotes:

Père Jean: Everyone has dark thoughts.
Julien Quentin: Even you?
Père Jean: Even me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dead Poets Society (1989)

Soundtrack:

Moment musical no 2

Why isn't this available on video/DVD?

Louie Malle's film is a deeply personal examination of the Holocaust, childhood friendship and accidental betrayal. Its young protagonists are affable without being overly sweet or cloying, and despite the semi-autobiographical nature of the story, Malle never gives over to cheap sentimentality the way Steven Spielberg might. While this is one of the films that got lost in the quagmire of Orion Classics, other titles from this period have been rescued and released on DVD through MGM. Long since out of print on VHS, it's shameful this film isn't readily available to those who might wish to examine the Holocaust from a different cinematic perspective, or to those seeking a powerful story that never falls prey to pathos.