“The Class” is a French film inspired by a true story about a schoolteacher. Francois Begeaudeau, the teacher on whom the story is based, actually plays himself in the movie. Francois teaches French to a group of troublesome young teens with realistically mixed results.
Realistic is probably the best description for “The Class.” Francois and all of the students play their characters stunningly well. The characters, which the film is really about, are developed with a keen attention to realism. This is not the story of a good teacher, nor is a story of a bad one. The students are also not divided up into “good” and “bad” (even though it may appear so at first). The troublemakers develop redeeming qualities, but don’t reach perfect redemption and Francois - who seems slated to deliver Dead Poets Society type inspiration – stumbles along the way.
The classroom setting becomes secondary in this story of people struggling in the world. People sometimes shine, but sometimes struggle to do what’s good or fulfill potential. What is all too clear is that none of the characters can pull another out of the hole he or she is in, because they’re all in the hole, teachers and students alike. Humans can be good, but can never cease to be flawed. “The Class” makes it clear that we humans need a transcendent force to help us out, someone outside of the hole.
1 comment:
This movie really potray quite well the schools in France I think. The teachers are not really good or just bad, they are just...human I guess. They have to deal with a classroom full of student that usually have a hard life outside and therefore give them a hard time. But they try their best. I liked how this movie didn't only portray how youths in "banlieues ( I guess it's the equivalent of "the projects" in US) usually fail at school.
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