FORBIDDEN GAMES (1952)

A.K.A.: Jeaux Interdits

Country: France

Genre(s): Drama / War

Director: Rene Clement

Cast: Brigitte Fossey / Georges Poujouly / Amedee

Plot

Orphaned by German bombs, a little girl is taken in by a family of farmers.  She befriends the youngest son of the family and the pair begins constructing a cemetery for dead animals.

What I Liked

*spoiler alert*

The most impressive aspect of “Forbidden Games” are the moving and convincing performances from its two child leads, Georges Poujouly as Michel and particularly little Brigitte Fossey as Paulette bring all the necessary innocence and emotionality to their characters and rarely come off as child actors, but rather child characters.  Six year old Fossey’s believable performance as the traumatized, confused, frightened, and loving Paulette is the real source of the movie’s emotional impact.  She never seems to be reciting lines some off screen adult just told her; her emotions and tears seem completely genuine; and the filmmakers never go the easy route of idealizing the little girl either.  She seems like a real child caught up in events far beyond her control that are thoroughly confusing her.  Poujouly’s portrayal of wild Michel, the older boy who looks after Paulette and helps her steal crosses for the cemetery, is equally believable.  Michel is imaginative and unrestrained, but also thoughtful and idealistic (without being idealized).

One of the most striking themes of the film is that the adults are every bit as immature, selfish, and irrational as one would expect the children to be.  The opening scenes showing the terror and absurdity of war are of course the most blatant depictions of this, yet even on a smaller scale, the grown-ups are so concerned with family feuds and judging others that their actions are sometimes comic relief and at others horrifically tragic.  Ultimately, it is the children who are the most loving and moral, only to see their trust and honesty martyred by the adults.

What I Disliked

“Forbidden Games” is a tale of rural people adherent to their rustic traditions, feuds, and daily chores.  Outside of the historic backdrop of Nazi invasion, one will find little here in the way of action or even melodrama. A slice-of-life, coming-of-age story, those who seek high adventure, star-crossed romance, or epic production values will be disappointed by how slowly the plot progresses.  The climax comes unexpectedly, not with a roar or blast, but with anguished realism.

Most Memorable Scene

*spoiler alert*

For a film that begins and ends with heartbreak, my choice is between the opening and closing moments.  Ultimately, the sadness of the opening scene only heightens the further unhappiness of the ending, so it is the ending which becomes the most moving and leaves the viewer with its most memorable image of a desperate little girl lost in a mass of equally desperate strangers.  I should have expected an unhappy ending to this film, but somehow the coming-of-age story and the rustic setting must have instilled some denial in my mind that allowed me to be totally crushed by the events of the film’s conclusion.

My Rating: 4 out of 5