Film Review: Au Revoir Les Enfants

Dir: Louis Malle

Starring: Gaspard Manesse, Raphaël Fejtö, François Berléand.

WARNING: Contains plot spoilers!

Second World War saga “Au Revoir, Les Enfants” recounts the childhood experiences of director Louis Malle during the latter stages of the German occupation of France. After the defeat of 1940, French society was forced to endure foreign occupation, domestic collaboration and a radically new way of life. Within this context we meet Julien (Manesse), a young boy coming to terms with his own personal traumas namely, the absence of his parents and the monotonous routine of his boarding school life.

The arrival of a number of new pupils to the school disrupts the status quo and distracts Julien from his torments. One boy in particular, Jean Bonnet (Fejtö) stands out and attracts ostracism and (secret) admiration in almost equal measure from his cohorts. Gradually, Julien and Jean are drawn closer together, but simultaneously Julien begins to have increasing suspicions about his new friend who claims to be a Protestant whilst not having, as Julien puts it, “a Protestant surname”.

Ultimately it transpires that Jean and a number of other boys are in fact Jewish orphans sheltering within the confines of a strict Catholic School from the seemingly ubiquitous Gestapo. After a number of near misses (including apprehension by a German military Patrol) and with the Nazi war effort floundering on all fronts, it appears as though Jean and his compatriots may evade capture and survive the war. Tragically however, they are betrayed by a hitherto unassuming character in the film. The film ends with Jean being led away to his fate with his school friends looking on mournfully.

Overall “Au Revoir” is a beautiful and haunting tale pitting the innocence of childhood against the cruelty of war. Although some have criticised the film for its lack of substantial action, this is in a certain sense is one of its main strengths. Typically, films concerning war prefer to concentrate on the blood and “glory” of the frontline. By contrast “Au Revoir Les Enfants” portrays the war through civilian rather than combative eyes resulting in an unorthodox but no less relevant depiction.

At its core, and perhaps in keeping with the stark Catholic context, the film’s underlying message is one of atonement and the possibility of redemption. Throughout the film we witness examples of both the best and worst of human nature: the bravery of the school’s priests matched with the callous selfishness of a wronged individual. An important film particularly for French audiences, illuminating as it does both the courageous and cowardly attitudes of a society under occupation.

Rating 4/5

Why we cannot afford to short-change our armed forces

British Royal Marines in Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan is starting to receive the public attention it has for so long merited. The recent spate of front-line casualties among British troops, and the subsequent front-page images of grief-stricken relatives and flag-draped coffins, has finally brought the gravity of the conflict home to civilians and politicians alike. After years of prosecuting military campaigns “on a shoe string“, the MOD and the government are facing stern criticism for deficiencies in basic equipment and, above all, the availability of aerial transport. A cross party report published yesterday by the Commons defence committee, attributed the hampering of operations and increased danger faced by British troops to insufficient numbers of helicopters . The criticisms of the report however have come too late for the nearly 200 British soldiers who have lost their lives in Afghanistan.

The logical question many will now be asking is why did these deficiencies go apparently ignored for so long? Since the 2001 invasion by US/ UK forces, Afghanistan has been a slow burning conflict, one that was all too readily overshadowed by the war in Iraq and one that is now viewed as lacking clear or even attainable objectives. It has and continues to be however a costly campaign both for western military forces and for Afghan civilians. As of July this year there have been over 1,000 deaths among Coalition forces, with British casualties accounting for 184 of the total figure (By contrast there are no reliable records of civilian casualties, although some analysts have put the figure as high as 20,000.)

So where do these harsh home truths leave the British mission in Afghanistan? A recent Guardian poll suggested that opinion and support for the war was fairly evenly divided, a somewhat surprising revelation considering the huge levels of discontent generated by the Iraq war. Opinion is also divided among the “experts”; military analysts and politicians, who appear to base their views on personal experience as much as on political agendas and the lessons of history. Learned figures such as Rory Stewart  have painted a  bleak outlook as to what western governments can expect to achieve in Afghanistan.

Indeed, if we have learnt anything from Iraq it is that the seed of western democratic values cannot simply be planted by force and be expected to flourish within a few short years, a view boldly asserted by Stewart during a recent Newsnight special on Afghanistan. Does this mean however that Britain should simply withdraw its troops from Helmand and pull out of Afghanistan altogether? The short answer in my view is no.

Although I never supported the war in Iraq and was vehemently opposed to the 2003 invasion, I have always held the view that nations should finish what they start. When a country participates in invading and country and deposing the ruling regime, there is a moral duty to remain until enough stability exists in that country for it to stand on its own two feet. Sadly this means that military personnel and civilians will ultimately have to pay the price for the foreign policy decisions of political leaders. If this is to be the case the very least a government can do is provide its military with the equipment it requires to do its best in an unenviable yet important role.

Foods to die for…

Photo courtesy of Shardan

Humanity’s relationship with food has always appeared to be a relatively simplistic one: “We eat to live” or, as some cultures would have it, “we live to eat”. Whatever position one takes there remains one constant; that food is a source of nourishment. There is however a darker side to cuisine, one completely at odds with the perception already mentioned. Western diets have long been criticised for their high calorific content, not to mention the presence of preservatives, trans fats and high levels of sugar and salt, coupled with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, have led to spiralling obesity and other health problems such as type 2 diabetes.

Allergic reactions and food poisoning have also been a persistent thorn in the side of mankind for thousands with human physiology rather perversely dictating that both sustenance and harmful pathogens share the method of ingestion as their main route into our bodies. Modern medicine and a greater understanding of food hygiene has helped minimise the threats posed by contaminated foods, at least in the developed world. Or so you would have thought. As it turns out there are a number of developed countries where culinary tradition has yet to be supplanted by basic scientific common sense.

A couple of weeks ago while trawling “the fount of knowledge” that is Wikipedia, I somehow came across a delightful Sardinian delicacy known as Casu Marzu or “rotten cheese”. Also cheerfully referred to as “maggot cheese”, Casu Marzu has been produced by Sardinians for centuries following a strict process. Essentially cheese makers take a standard Pecorino cheese made from sheep’s milk, slice the top off and let the flies go at it for a couple of weeks. After a while eggs laid in the cheese by the marauding flies hatch into larvae, which proceed to munch through the cheese producing enzymes that eventually give the Casu Marzu its legendary texture and flavour (not dissimilar to a strong Stilton according to Tom Parker Bowles).

Aside from the obviously nauseating aspects of consuming maggot-ridden fromage, Casu Marzu presents potentially serious health risks to any would be cheese connoisseur. The maggots can reportedly “leap” to heights of up to 6 inches thus requiring Casu Marzu eaters to shield their eyes as they lift the cheese to their mouths. Moreover, the larvae and unhatched eggs are able to survive the acidic environment of the human stomach and pass into the intestines alive. In a worst case scenario these larvae can gnaw their way through the lining of your guts leading to internal bleeding and an infestation that can prove rather difficult to clear even with modern medicines.

Casu Marzu is not alone however in the world of potentially harmful foods. Although perhaps most famous for its oil reserves and failed vice-presidential candidates, Alaska is also home to the “Stink Head”, a native dish in which a fish head (typically salmon) is buried and left to ferment before being dug up and consumed. Aside from its inherently unappetizing form of preparation, Stink Heads carry a significant risk of food poisoning and account for a large percentage of botulism cases in Alaska.

Sticking with pescaterian cuisines we come to Fugu: a delicious albeit potentially lethal Japanese delicacy consisting of very carefully sliced pufferfish. Pufferfish possess a self-defence mechanism in the form of Tetrodotoxin- a neurotoxin 100 times more lethal than cyanide. If consumed Tetrodotoxin gradually shuts down the victim’s nervous system leading to conscious paralysis and asphyxia. It should be said that where Fugu is prepared by an expert, licenced chef the risks are minimal. That said a number of people, predominantly amateur chefs who attempt to prepare Fugu at home, still die each year as a result of Fugu poisoning.

As far as food intake and its effect on our health goes, we all reluctantly know that that extra portion of fried bread, or third helping of ice cream is doing our bodies no favours in the long-term. But maybe we should put things into perspective; after all, how would you feel about chowing down on jumping larvae-ridden dairy products or rotting fish heads every other day?

Bon Appétit!