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"Jeunes diables," the grace of Jean Vigo upon them. Vacation's over, the train to the boarding school provides a stage for boys and their toys, the first of numerous instances of mercurial screen space. For tiny anarchists forever scampering like marbles, the institution might as well be a prison. Adults steal chocolate and cop a feel, the exception is the new teacher (Jean Dasté) who does handstands and Chaplin impressions, more accomplice than monitor. (Leading the kids on an excursion across town doesn't keep him from trying to pick up girls, naturellement.) High angles in the dormitory, low angles before the pint-sized headmaster. "Let there be no troubles, no pranks!" Joyous, rough, transformative, ferocious, visions from a great cinematic liberator. A splash of ink on paper becomes an animated caricature striking the Napoleon pose, the mirror gag is concurrent with Duck Soup. Glue on the bookcase, the display skeleton that glides to welcome the rotund instructor, "how very amusing." Detention on Sunday, beans every day, revolution tomorrow. The frail student might be Vigo himself, given the ardent Vigo battle cry: "Monsieur le professeur, je vous dis merde!" The complete education of jokes, tricks, spur-of-the-moment flares, divine mischief. A blizzard of feathers from ripped pillows and mattresses, the lads parade through it in poetic slow-motion, cf. Cocteau's snowball fight in Les Enfants terribles. Down the tricolore flag and up the skull and crossbones, blitzkrieg on the cabinet of dummies and ascent into heaven. "Long live rebellion!" The influence on The 400 Blows and If.... has been sufficiently recognized, the kinship with Los Olvidados and Even Dwarfs Started Small less so. Cinematography by Boris Kaufman. In black and white.
--- Fernando F. Croce |