Forbidden Games (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

Death, an abstract concept with much mystery surrounding it, has countless people pondering what happens next. In the shadow of war, death becomes a tool of success, as the body count races towards an obscene amount while it augments fear in those who try to survive. However, in the light of a child's naïve understanding of the world, death has an oblivious meaning, as young children have just begun to discover their own existence. Thus, it is a consensus that children should be spared the agonizing awareness of death, and many children are consequently sheltered from the notion of death and other dark themes. Yet, director René Clément purposely shatters the life of innocence by portraying the taboo topic in Forbidden Games, as death exposes itself to a young girl in a close and personal manner amidst the Nazi's Blitzkrieg on Paris in June 1940.The acoustics of a lute plucking an ancient and playful tune accompanied by a hand thumbing through the opening credits in a book launches Forbidden Games. It triggers the atmosphere of an innocent fairy tale, but it is not a fairy tale in the modern sense. Instead, the film delivers a darker and much grimmer story similar to those of the Brothers Grimm. As the final page of the book is turned, a caravan of cars, people, and other vehicles in a great hurry struggles to cross a river on a narrow bridge when a large number of Luftwaffe's death messengers begin to attack the escaping Parisians. In the middle of the fleeing convoy, a family with the daughter Paulette (Brigitte Fossey) and the dog Jock are stuck, as the car just broke down. In panic, people push the broken car out the way, as the father and mother witness their situation worsening.With the car broken and off the road, the family has no other choice than to continue on foot across the bridge while the aerial war machines attempt to kill everything that moves. Amidst the chaos, Jock runs off crossing the bridge with the little Paulette chasing him. In terror, both the mother and father run after Paulette, and halfway across the bridge the parents throws themselves over Paulette protecting her from the bullets cutting through the air. When Paulette opens her eyes, both parents rest peacefully next to her on the dusty gravel road, as they have been pierced by large caliber machinegun shots. Carefully, Paulette studies her mom, as if she were sleeping. It is evident that the situation is foreign to her. The scene's culmination arrives when she notices Jock twitching uncharacteristically; as the poor dog's nerves send their final twitches through its limbs.The bridge scene presents powerful and gripping symbolism in multiple ways. For example, the scene suggests that Paulette is still unaware of life's mysteries, as when she reaches the bridge's midpoint. However, it is clear that she notices that there is something unusual with the situation, as she begins her journey across. Her reaction to the situation indicates that something new is happening, as she appears somewhat stunned to the gruesome event. It is not until a small wagon pulled by the old man picks up Paulette that she learns about Jock's condition when an old woman tells her that the dog is dead. Innocently, she responds, "It's dead." as the woman tosses the corpse into the river underneath the bridge. It is seems as if she has heard about death before, but is also apparent that she oblivious of the meaning of death. All the audience can do is sit and watch in sorrow, as the little girl fetches the dead Jock out of the shallow river.Many people usually discuss death with their children at some point in their lives, but when Paulette recently became an orphan, she no longer has the luxury of being educated in the mysteries of life by her parents. Instead, she embraces the departed Jock while her footsteps aimlessly lead her into the woods. More symbolism surfaces here through the aimless wandering in the forest, which suggests that she is facing some confusion in the new situation. Nonetheless, the wandering also symbolically implies that she is wrestling with the idea of death. Her drifting eventually leads her to the farm boy Michel Dolle (Georges Poujouly) who brings her to his family.In a crude and tactless manner, the poor Dolle family welcomes Paulette, as they seem more troubled with the basic needs than providing shelter for the little girl. Nonetheless, the Dolles takes the little girl in, as they quickly begin to school her in the farm life. It is a lifestyle that many might find unusual; some might even go as far as advocating that it is outlandish. It is a straightforward no-nonsense approach without any pretense of what ultimately will happen to all living beings, as death belongs to the everyday routine on a farm. It is not that the family is not concerned with death, but how they deal with it. The family's pragmatic approach to death feels awkwardly insensitive that brings thoughts of people being uncivilized, selfish, and immoral. Much of this sentiment emerges through the son Michel when he provides Paulette with what she desires.The combination of catechism, word of mouth by the Dolles, and Michel's willingness to support of Paulette's newly acquired ideas begin to form a bizarre concept of death. Meanwhile, there is no safeguarding of what might seem appropriate and inappropriate, which allows the Michel and Paulette do whatever they want. It leads to the two starting a morbid game that has its roots in Paulette's unguided discovery of death. She has developed her own idea that Jock should not rest alone in the little grave. Without much thought, Michel provides all the help he can, as his childish infatuation with Paulette motivates him to do whatever it takes to ease her newly found agony. It leads the story into a ghastly direction that stains the basic notion of children's innocence, but it also provides an intriguing proposition of how children learn from their environment.René Clément breaks the taboo of death and children by telling this story, but he does it tactfully and brilliantly through clever symbolism and remarkable scene framing. What truly emerges in the film is the corruption of innocence, a concept that Clément shows through ignorance and feverish emotions. In addition, he proposes that children display their view of the world through play. Furthermore, children learn from those around them, as they begin to reflect on their own experiences. Ultimately, it provides the foundation of a child's world perspective, and they begin to form their own ideas with or without guidance - sometimes these children are misled.

Recently, when discussing our mutual love of art house films, a friend's wife asked me if I had seen Forbidden Games. When I said I had not, she gave it a fervent recommendation. So I looked it up here on amazon and ordered it from an amazon partner.It arrived quickly and I viewed it twice the day I received it. I found it to be an intensely interesting film as a charming tale of childhood innocence in the face of unfathomable loss. I won't rehash the story line, most who are reading this already know the basic plot. But the film for me left a lot of unanswered questions.While Brigette Fossey is undeniably excellent in her role as the orphaned Paulette, the manner of her parents' death and the matter-of-fact way in which she accepted their deaths without any outward show of emotion seems odd. Paulette seems almost less willing to accept that her dog is dead than that her parents are! She also seems to just fit in almost seamlessly with the family that has taken her in after she is found wandering by young Michel Dolle as he trying to recapture a cow that has gotten loose. Of course, it helps that Michel is there for her in her time of greatest need. And I don't see why in the chaos of war that Paulette was ultimately sent to an orphanage rather than being allowed to stay with the family that had taken her in. Of course, if those questions were answered, there would be no film.Both child stars, Brigette Fossey and Georges Poujouly are superb in their respective roles as Paulette and Michel, and director Rene Clement managed to wring equally superb performances from the remainder of the major players. The haunting score by Narciso Yepes imbues the film with the aura of happy sadness that makes the movie so satisfying . Also appealing are the glimpses of French farm life in the bucolic countryside and the comical relationship the Dolles have with their neighbors.I recommend this edition of Forbidden Games to all who wish to own one. Why? Because the Criterion Collection edition provides the extras that give value for money. Interviews with director Clement and with actress Fossey provide useful insight and the historical backdrop for the making of the film. Clement often comes across as a pompous popinjay, but Fossey is thoroughly charming and forthcoming in her commentary. There are also alternative beginnings and endings which while interesting, were thankfully dropped for the ones that made the final cut. A couple of other extras add just a bit more value as well.

I had not seen this film for some 50 years. It is still as good as I remember it. A vision of the war through the eyes of children and how every day deaths became part of their lives.Very sweet if it is also tragic.Highly recommended.

JEUX INTERDITS NOUS RAPELLE NOTRE ENFANCE DU TEMPS OU EN ETAIS EN COURTES CULOTTES ET QU ON FESSAIS LES 400 COUPS AUX NEZ ET A LA BARBE DE NOS PARENTS QUI POUR NOUS ETAIS DES DIEUX...PRES A NOUS DONNES UNE REPRIMENDE A CHAQUES CONNERIES C EST BON DE REVENIR EN ARRIERE ...

Liked the action scene at the beginning of the film, and the resulting friendship between an orphaned girl ,and farm boy is well crafted.An unusual film with a strange ending.The extras show an alternative ending.Good blue ray print.

Forbidden Games was a very haunting movie. I am glad that I found it, as it is out of print and very hard to come by.

Cette note est parfaitement méritée.Grand cinéphile j'ai vu la plupart des grands films produits au cours des années 1940,50,60,70 80,films interprétés par de grands acteurs inégalés je crois.Ces films avaient le mérite de raconter une histoire ou étaient tirés de romans célèbres(un exemple au hasard:la Chartreuse de Parme avec comme acteurs principaux les inoubliables Gérard Philipee et Maria Casarès) .C'est malheureusement une époque révolue.