Viewed: THE CLASS

This one's a special flick - highlighting the struggle of a teacher, François and going into the depths to give a peek inside the students. It is a remarkable film that depicts innocence and a future that is perhaps unsure considering how the future generation grows.

The French film is set in a school, chiefly focusing on a relationship between a class of teenage students with their teacher. The story is of a young teacher who deals with students of different backgrounds and teaches them French. In the process there are moments of ups and moments of downs; incidents when students become too difficult to handle and times when the teacher is almost losing it.

The film has no music. It's chiefly shot in a small class-room; you keep shifting from close-ups of different students and teacher. You start by noticing different students and by the end of it, you know everyone, or what they reveal of themselves in the classroom. Just like François. You see his interactions with the students and his colleagues and his endeavor to do his best for his students but...he is a human too.

The best thing about the film is the realistic feel - it's almost like a documentary and you see the teacher's journey not being an inspiring hero, which a typical teacher-film does; in fact, the film uses the real names of the actors as the characters. François Bégaudeau is the lead, who was also part of the screenwriting team, a story based on his book.

The conversations shift from basic to extremely conflicting; from François explaining stuff to dealing with their open criticism of him. It definitely makes for captivating viewing. Indians will not be able to personally relate to such a classroom, since the 'order' is more set back home; it's more 'disciplined'. Yet...we all can identify with the struggle of the kids, not to mention with François.

By being so realistic, the film doesn't necessarily have those typical 'rising and falling' moments, though the film has plenty. It's a film that sinks into you as it moves along and leaves you with a strange feeling in the end - you watch a world that has been opened to you, like a spectator, and a world that you also belonged to once. The Class is definitely in a special class.


Screenplay: François Bégaudeau, Robin Campillo, and Laurent Cantet, based on the book by François Bégaudeau
Director: Laurent Cantet

Rating ****

[Max ****]


{Watched on 2nd March, 4.15 pm show at Esquire on Downing and 6th. After the film had grub at Gunther Toody - their 'Original Hamburger' with a gawd-awful thick chocolate milk-shake! Sure was tasty but...gotta watch the damn sugar and fat :-( But it was a fantastic not-so-cold evening.}