(Old text) Please forgive me for summarizing this article with the title of another movie. That's because after watching "Les Choristes," my gut tells me that there is no better title for this movie.
(1)
To be honest, I have always been in awe of French cinema. If I read the synopsis of the story before watching the main film, I feel that it is just a simple and common teacher-student story, and such a boring and old-fashioned structure probably cannot escape the usual abhorrent appearance of French art films in my imagination.
However I was wrong. It's a lighthearted, entertaining, and genuinely artistic film. It's not oppressive at all, it's lively and light-hearted, with a touch of humor, but it's also not as loud as the usual French comedies such as "Tulips". It is a moist and warm memory, a soft wind that flutters gently, and you face it palely, neither joy nor sadness, but only moving, and it is a sigh and moving with endless aftertaste. Like me, it is even more so. will be grateful.
I finally finished watching a French literary film successfully and completely, which is my miracle, and changing my common stereotype of French films is the contribution and gratification of "Spring in the Cattle Class".
(2)
Of course, this movie will not be esoteric or obscure. An unremarkable teacher came to a group of wild and unruly children, and we can basically guess what happens next. But the unique charm of the character of Matthew is that his underappreciated talent and failure, his compassion and tender eyes, and even his crush on the student's mother, his funny and humorous behavior and very conspicuous bald head, all make him look like a kind and amiable Father. He is not perfect, but three-dimensional and vivid, and is a very convincing, amiable and credible teacher image.
The most important thing is that Matthew really knows how to open the hearts of children.
Before his arrival, "Bottom of the Pond" was the epitome of a typically tyrannical and brutal boarding school and education system. Principal Hassan and the staff below him are violent and simple and one-sided. They only see the children rebelling, stealing, smoking, and fighting. They are also accustomed to using severe punishments such as confinement, beating and abusing students. The students also rebounded more strongly under the ball effect, always trying to retaliate against the prank teachers, which led to an increasingly tense relationship between teachers and students. In a pure sense, "The Bottom of the Pond" is not like a school, but a battlefield of indifferent confrontation between teachers and students, between adults and children.
After Matthew came, he was just a new superintendent. He was powerless to change the status quo in an all-round way, but he could be lenient to the students who made mistakes and restore the dignity of the children to the best of his ability. More importantly, Matthew knows how to respect every child and believes that every child has their own talents and talents. He formed a choir, analyzed the timbre of each child, and arranged suitable roles for them. In the old saying, he knew how to teach students according to their aptitude and make the best use of their talents. In fact, he was also hinting and motivating every child, making them realize that they are irreplaceable by others. value, everyone can find their own place in the society of life. Director Chris Bahati himself explained that the film is about the meaning of life. In this regard, Matthew can be said to be the real enlightenment mentor of the children, so Matthew can gradually win the children's trust and gain their sincere support. The most touching part of the film is when Matthew left "The Bottom of the Pond" and took Pepino away. That day happened to be Saturday, which finally fulfilled Pepino's wish that he could wait for "father" on Saturday. The departure of Peppino and Matthew is the best reward for the education method implemented by Matthew. And Mo Hangzhi later became a famous musician, which is a clear proof of the effectiveness of Matthew's educational philosophy.
In contrast, the film also sets up the role of Mengdan, who was sent to the "bottom of the pond" by psychologists as an experiment because the "experiment" Due to his special identity and worse character, he did not receive the care he deserved, but suffered more excessive discrimination and abuse, and was mistakenly blamed for the thief who stole 100,000 francs of school assets. school dormitory. This kind of violence can be said to be the most direct and extreme revenge and protest against the authoritarian education system. If we put aside the vulgar educational topic, we can also see the humanistic concern of the director.
The film director's uncle, the better-known director Jacques Behan, said: "The faces of our childhood, together with our innermost emotions, are so precious to us that the memories of childhood will never be erased in the future. To contact those children with mental defects in this film, in fact, they remember two diametrically opposed memories in their hearts: their misfortune is them or for various reasons (such as "World War II", "World War II" is also a war initiated by adults ) were abandoned by adults, or exceeded the rules set by the adult world, and lived up to the temporary expectations of adults for them, they were excluded from free and normal life by the adult world represented by Principal Hassan, and suffered rude and brutal abuse and beatings or confinement. This stupid, savage and metaphysical approach to the children is obviously a greater spiritual disaster. Mengdan's arson is the most obvious negative teaching material. Fortunately for the children, they met Matthew. Matthew's greatness or value is that he really knows how to have a dialogue and communication with children. His sense of democracy and equality, his generosity, kindness, kindness and patience are like ray of spring sunshine, soothing and shining the children's broken and injured hearts, and giving them a bright and warm future and the world. These two kinds of memories are believed to be deeply rooted in the author's heart and the source of the story and emotion of the film.
(3)
Looking at it now, Matthew is indeed a very remarkable image of a teacher. The skinny math teacher in the film also understands music, but he did not expect to share the joy brought by music with the children. Dreams of education, but at the moment he's just a selfish, hypocritical, flattering (in front of the Duchess that the choir was his idea) tyrant that everyone hates. The reason why Matthew won the respect is because he has enough confidence and patience in dealing with children. And he discerns geniuses, discovers the strengths and personalities of each child, and unlocks their musical wisdom, which is not something ordinary people can do. If you look a little wider, not every unfortunate child can meet a teacher as sensible as Matthew, who is also a musician, albeit a little down.
So Matthew is, after all, a character image with ideal colors and good wishes. He is also no longer a "failed musician, an unemployed schoolmaster", but a spiritual savior and a messenger of light. This may be because the director himself has decades of musical training, and the role of music and musicians is beautified and exaggerated. But it is undeniable that the music in this film is also superbly used. It not only connects the plot in every way, but also enhances the atmosphere of the film and promotes the development of the plot. It is an excellent example of the combination of music and plot.
There are three complete episodes in the film, all of which are lyrical and gentle and beautiful. They correspond to the time and solar terms of the story. From the cold winter to the early summer, it also gradually reflects the music gradually melting the children's frozen hearts. The overall mood of the film It also became brighter and brighter. Such as "Turn in the swirling wind, spread your wings, in the gray morning light, find the way to the rainbow, open the prelude to spring" "Summer's faint, the moving dream, my heart ignites, suddenly Flying away from the earth" "The tremor of joy, everything is jumping, honor, shame and fear are left behind, far from the troubles of children, endless sadness is gone" "The direction in the dark night, the light of hope, the zeal of life, the alley of glory "Wait, from these songs, you can hear the children's gratitude to the music and Matthew, and it seems that you can smell their gradually cheerful and optimistic atmosphere. And the metaphor of music and Matthew as a guiding light and a light of hope for children "at the bottom of the pond" (in the dark) is also evident. Especially when the second song was played, the whole campus seemed to be surrounded by the ethereal and melodious children's acapella, immersed in the holy world of music, the darkness and cruelty of "The Bottom of the Pond" seemed to be swept away, everything was like this. He was so peaceful and happy that even the math teacher came to accompany the children, and the principal, who had always been inhumane, actually taught the children to play origami in the office. It can be seen that the appeal of music is immense.
If there is a soundtrack for this movie, I recommend it.
The film is excellent in all aspects other than music, especially the grasp of rhythm and overall tone is very skilled, not like a first-time work at all. The smoothness of the director's narration, the natural transitions, and the clear, neat and orderly plot of the plot all show that he is skilled in his techniques and has a solid foundation. If you want to compare Chinese films, the debut work can achieve this tepid and just right demeanor. It seems that only Ang Lee's "Pushing Hand" has a similar feeling. "Spring in the Cattle Class" is a beautiful and lyrical hymn of human nature. I wonder if Chris Bahati would have performed so well if he left the music theme.
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