The Chorus (2004 film)
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| Les Choristes | |
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 Original poster |
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| Directed by | Christophe Barratier |
| Produced by | Arthur Cohn Jacques Perrin Gérard Jugnot |
| Written by | Christophe Barratier Philippe Lopes-Curval |
| Starring | Gérard Jugnot François Berléand Jean-Baptiste Maunier Maxence Perrin |
| Music by | Bruno Coulais |
| Cinematography | Jean-Jacques Bouhon Dominique Gentil Carlo Varini |
| Editing by | Yves Deschamps |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films |
| Release date(s) | March 17, 2004  FranceDecember 22, 2004  United StatesMarch 11, 2005  United Kingdom |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Language | French |
| Budget | €5,500,000 |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Chorus (Les Choristes) is a 2004 French drama film directed by Christophe Barratier. Co-written by Barratier and Philippe Lopes-Curval, it is a remake of the 1945 film A Cage of Nightingales (La Cage aux Rossignols), which was adapted by Noël-Noël and René Wheeler from a story by Wheeler and Georges Chaperot.
The film explores the pain of a child's separation from his parents and the transcendence of music as the greatest form of expression.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
In a prologue, internationally renowned conductor Pierre Morhange receives word of his mother's death and returns to France for her funeral. Following the services he is visited by Pépinot, a classmate at the correctional school Fond de L'Etang (literally, Bottom of the Pond) they attended. Pépinot has brought Morhange the journal of Clément Mathieu, the school supervisor and unofficial choirmaster. As Morhange begins to read, we flashback to 1949 and the arrival of middle-aged Mathieu at the school. Resigned to abandoning his dream of composing music, he is optimistic about his new position despite the attitude of his predecessor, who doesn't conceal his relief at relinquishing his post. Prior to his departure, he warns Mathieu about some of the more troublesome students, including Le Querrec, whose booby trap severely injured Maxence, the school's elderly custodian, and Pierre Morhange, a boy with an angelic face but devilish temperament. Not all of the students are malevolent, however, such as diminutive orphan Pépinot, who continually assures everyone his father will be coming for him on Saturday. The school's strict, sadistic, and unsympathetic headmaster Rachin believes firmly in the theory "Action-Reaction," and together with teacher Chabert administers corporal punishment and terms of confinement on a regular basis, but their methods prove to be ineffective.
After several failed attempts to discipline his students, Mathieu decides to try to reach them through music. He turns his class into a choir and teaches the boys his original compositions. His efforts are disrupted by Mondain, a new arrival who, although not officially crazy, is a borderline case with an extremely violent temper and anti-social attitude. His blatant ignoring of the rules soon causes the others to follow suit. Meanwhile, Morhange is disturbed by what he perceives to be a budding relationship between his single mother Violette and Mathieu, who offers to help her enroll the boy in a conservatory in Lyon. Eventually Mondain is accused of stealing and is removed by the police. When Mathieu discovers the true identity of the thief, he urges Rachin to clear Mondain of the charges, but the spiteful headmaster refuses. He fires Mathieu after he organizes an outing for the boys during Rachin's absence, even though they were spared from serious injury from a fire set by a vindictive Mondain while they were away from the school. We already know how Mathieu influenced Pierre Morhange's life; what effect he had on the future of little Pépinot is revealed in the film's final moments. He took Pépinot with him, on a Saturday.
[edit] Production notes
The film was shot on location at Château de Ravel in Puy-de-Dôme.
The film was shown at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival, the Heartland Film Festival, the Milwaukee International Film Festival, and the Scottsdale Film Festival in the US before opening in Los Angeles in time to qualify for the 77th Academy Awards.
The songs in the film were performed by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc.
The film grossed $3,629,758 in the US and $79,108,226 in foreign markets for a total worldwide box office of $82,737,984 [1].
[edit] Principal cast
- Gérard Jugnot ..... Clément Mathieu
- François Berléand ..... Rachin
- Kad Merad ..... Chabert
- Jean-Paul Bonnaire ..... Maxence
- Marie Bunel ..... Violette Morhange
- Jean-Baptiste Maunier ..... Pierre Morhange
- Maxence Perrin ..... Pépinot
- Grégory Gatignol ..... Mondain
- Cyril Bernicot ..... Le Querrec
- Jacques Perrin ..... Adult Morhange
- Didier Flamand ..... Adult Pépinot
[edit] Critical response
In her review in the New York Times, Manohla Dargis called the film "a deeply conventional story about truculent or orphaned boys and the gentle soul who finds himself by shaping the tots into a chorus. Think Lean on Me meets Mr. Holland's Opus with soaring sopranos and a soupçon of drama." [2]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times observed it "feels more like a Hollywood wannabe than a French film. Where's the quirkiness, the nuance, the deeper levels? . . . since I know the story and so does everybody else in the theater, it should have added something new and unexpected." [3]
In the San Francisco Chronicle, Walter Addiego described the film as "a nicely made exercise in pathos" and added, "It's decently performed and directed, and features a young actor with an impressive set of pipes - he does all his own singing here - but the film is finally a letdown. It says nothing new about its well-worn theme of teacher as deliverer." [4]
Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune rated the film three out of a possible four stars and commented, "Gerard Jugnot . . . possesses the priceless gifts of screen vulnerability, empathy and emotional clarity . . . and he uses all his skills to moving effect in The Chorus . . . [Its] emotional power may surprise some audiences who, taking their cues from TV cable news ranters, caricature the French as frosty snobs. The Chorus disproves that cliché while reawakening a time when life and movies seemed simpler and making that simplicity a virtue. Most of all, it lets young Maunier sing and Jugnot act. Corny it may be, but [it] does connect. Like all good popular entertainments, the best of it sings." [5]
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (nominee)
- Academy Award for Best Original Song ("Look To Your Path," music by Bruno Coulais, lyrics by Christophe Barratier, nominee)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film (nominee)
- BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language (nominee)
- BAFTA Award for Best Film Music (nominee)
- BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (nominee)
- César Award for Best Film (nominee)
- César Award for Best Actor (Gérard Jugnot, nominee)
- César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (François Berléand, nominee)
- César Award for Best Director (nominee)
- César Award for Best Debut in Fiction (nominee)
- César Award for Best Production Design (nominee)
- César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (winner)
- César Award for Best Sound (winner)
- European Film Award for Best European Film of the Year (nominee)
- European Film Award for Best European Actor of the Year (Jugnot, nominee)
- European Film Award for Best European Composer of the Year (winner)
- Austin Film Festival Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature (winner)
- Bangkok International Film Festival Award for Best Director (Christophe Barratier, winner, tie Chan-wook Park)
- Bangkok International Film Festival Award for Best Film (nominee)
- Heartland Film Festival Crystal Heart Award (Barratier, winner)
- Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival Jury Award for Best Film (winner)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official website (French)
- Les Choristes at the Internet Movie Database
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