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Home > French > Extension Course > Prescribed text > Au revoir les enfants > Shots 437-438 > Sample questions for Au revoir les enfants shots 437-438

 

Au revoir les enfants shots 437–438

Part A

Question 1

Read the extract from Au revoir les enfants, shots 437–438 and answer the questions below in ENGLISH.

1. T’en fais pas. Ils m’auraient eu de toutes façons.
   
   What is Bonnet referring to here? What does this remark reveal about his character? (3 marks)
   
   Bonnet is referring to the guilt felt by his friend, Julien, who betrayed him unwittingly by glancing at him when Doktor Muller, the German official, was looking for the Jewish boy in the classroom. This glance gave away the fact that Bonnet was, indeed, the Kippelstein boy sought by the soldiers.
   
   Bonnet is seeking to reassure Julien that it was not his fault and that the Germans would have caught him in the long run.
   
   The fact that Bonnet, in this moment of stress, takes the time to hearten his friend is a sign of his maturity and selflessness. His concern for the Catholic boy demonstrates empathy and a lack of resentment. He is able to put his friend first at a time when his own life is at stake.
   
   
2. Comment on the structure of the sentences used in this scene and the effect created. (2 marks)
   
   The sentences in this scene are characteristically short and simple in structure, as they are in the rest of the film. In the context of this scene, in which the boys are being watched by the soldier who escorted Bonnet back into the room, there is no room for long commentaries on the events taking place. The short, sharp remarks add to the sense of urgency and confusion as only the bare minimum can be expressed within the German's earshot.
   
   
3. Why is this an important scene in the relationship between Julien and Bonnet? (4 marks)
   
   This is the first time that we see Bonnet in control. It is his turn to reassure Julien, who has been up until this moment, the one with the upper hand and the local knowledge (showing Bonnet how to walk on stilts, how to avoid going to the shelter during the air raid alarm and so on).
   
   Bonnet displays great maturity in this scene. He is mentally prepared to meet his fate as shown by his legacy of books to his friend: a finite parting gesture. By contrast, Julien is experiencing tragedy for the first time. His awkward response to the gift, in offering Bonnet his precious copy of Thousand and One Nights, reflects the fact that he does not fully understand or wish to admit that his friend may never have the opportunity to read again. The extent of Bonnet's dismal prospects is not within the grasp of the young bourgeois boy.
   
   This scene is important in showing that, despite the bond that exists between them, stronger forces are at play to separate the boys again. It is Julien who now finds himself excluded as Bonnet is openly associated with a group whose race and religion differs from his own.
   
   
4. How does the director use film techniques to convey the sense of tension in this scene? (3 marks)
   
   The absence of normality in this scene is underlined by the quiet atmosphere that surrounds the boys as they pack. The tension increases with the clapping of Père Hippolythe who wants them to move on. We sense that the Germans outside are not willing to wait very long.
   
   Once Julien is left alone in the dormitory, it is the sound of footsteps outside the door that create a new state of alert. The medium shot, used to show Bonnet entering with the German soldier, combined with the inclusion of Julien in the foreground, brings some tension: the three characters are together in the same room but worlds apart in their personal situation. The boys’ desire to communicate is hampered by the presence of the soldier. The camera follows Bonnet as he walks up to his locker. The viewer is placed in Julien's position, watching the movements of the Jewish boy. The sense of menace is increased as the three characters are shown glancing at each other during the brief moment when the boys are able to whisper.
   
   
5. Explain how this scene relates to the issue of tolerance of difference in the film. (3 marks)
   
   This scene juxtaposes the closeness of the two protagonists (in spite of the difference in their social and racial background) and the hatred that has caused the removal of Bonnet from the school. Julien is well aware that Bonnet's religious credo is of little relevance to the quality of their friendship. In fact, he is closer to the Jewish boy than to the Catholic boys who do not share his skills and interests. The message of the restaurant scene, in which he witnessed the indignities suffered by the Jewish gentleman, is reiterated in this scene. Now it is his own friend's turn to be treated unjustly and for the same reason.
   
   The issue of tolerance of difference is treated similarly by Louis Malle throughout the film. He confronts us with the terrible injustice that took place during World War II while showing us acts of compassion. Throughout the film he respects a certain equilibrium: despicable acts are not always performed by the Germans (the French nun and Joseph betray others) and acts of sympathy don’t come only from interested parties (the Catholic priest takes Jewish boys under his wing, the German soldiers show kindness when the boys are lost in the forest).

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