Review of Forbidden games (2015) by Brian H — 24 Jun 2007

[font=Courier New]A 5-year-old girl stands at the bank of a river as her lifeless dog floats helplessly away. A driverless carriage roars by and explosions continue to decimate the countryside. To top it all off, the child has just witnessed the death of both of her parents. And yet, the girl sheds no tears. She remains completely aloof. This partially demonstrates why Rene Clement's Forbidden Games may be the greatest portrait of childhood innocence to grace the screen.[/font].

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[font=Courier New]The film begins with the German bombardment of Paris in 1940. Along with her parents and dog, five-year-old Paulette (Brigitte Fossey) flees the city only to watch them perish from Nazi fire. She is unable to comprehend death, poking at her parents, oblivious to the fact that they will never return. She stumbles away and meets a farm boy (Georges Poujouly) who takes her back to his family. The two have an instant bond, typical of young children who tend to latch on to one another immediately.[/font].

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[font=Courier New]Michel tells his family Paulette's story, and they take her in but continue to focus on their daily routine. In fact, they seem far more concerned with upstaging their neighbors than acknowledging the ongoing war. Their interest in the war does not extend beyond what they read in the paper. They pay little attention to Michel and Paulette, who spend their days building a private cemetery for dead animals. Despite their early age, the two are completely obsessed with death. Michel steals crosses from a graveyard to adorn the holes for their animals. In a way, they are indirectly identifying the atrocities around them; although, the lack the capacity to understand their actions.[/font].

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[font=Courier New]The adults in fact may be as childish as Michel and Paulette. Michel's father gets in a fight with his neighbor after accusing him of stealing his oldest son's burial cross. The fight culminates inside the pit of a grave as the two families watch. Clement seems to suggest that even adults find ways to distract themselves from war.[/font].

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[font=Courier New]The showstoppers in this film are Fossey and Poujouly. The tandem delivers the most natural child performances I have ever seen. It's as if neither of them even notice the camera. Young children have the ability to shift focus at the drop of a hat. That is why using children as the focal point in the movie was so brilliant. To see them stuck in such a perilous situation and unable to comprehend its enormity, is moving and eventually, heartbreaking. Roger Ebert compares this film to Grave of the Fireflies, which also shows war through the eyes of a child. And both, whether intentional or not, are among the finest anti-war pieces filmed.[/font].

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[font=Courier New]SPOILERS ********[/font].

[font=Courier New]The ending almost moved me to tears. You know Paulette and Michel are bound to part ways, but it doesn't make the act any less moving. At the orphanage, Paulette's eyes are no longer dry. Her innocence is starting to fade. As she once again stumbles through the masses, she finally begins to feel real loss. What could be more tragic? ********[/font].

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[font=Courier New]This movie is one of the most touching and well crafted I have ever seen. This is easily the best blind buy I have ever made. It really shook me to the core, and I'm sure it will stay with me for quite some time. I'd love to hear others' thoughts.[/font].