Zero de Conduite (1933)
"Zéro de conduite: Jeunes diables au collège" (original title)

In a repressive boarding school with rigid rules of behavior, four boys decide to rebel against the direction on a celebration day.

Director:

Jean Vigo

Writer:

Jean Vigo (scenario)

Stars:

Jean Dasté, Robert le Flon, Du Verron

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jean Dasté	...	Surveillant Huguet
Robert le Flon	...	Surveillant Pète-Sec
Du Verron	...	Surveillant-Général Bec-de-Gaz (as du Verron)
Delphin	...	Principal du Collège
Léon Larive	...	Professeur (as Larive)
Madame Émile	...	Mère Haricot (as Mme. Emile)
Louis de Gonzague	...	Préfet (as Louis de Gonzague-Frick)
Raphaël Diligent	...	Pompier (as Rafa Diligent)
Louis Lefebvre	...	Caussat
Gilbert Pruchon	...	Colin
Constantin Goldstein-Kehler	...	Bruel (as Coco Golstein)
Gérard de Bédarieux	...	Tabard

Storyline

After the holidays, Caussat and Bruel are going back to the boarding school, where their life is sad, dull, as all prisoner's ones. But there is plot setting up for a revolt...

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Plot Keywords:

school | revolt | penis | teenager nudity | rain | 

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Genres:

Short | Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 June 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Zero de Conduite

Filming Locations:

Gare de Belleville-Villette, Belleville, Paris 19, Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Franfilmdis, Argui-Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

41 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

77 years after Jean Vigo's death, his daughter and film critic Luce Vigo accepted the 2011 Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Award -- named after persecuted Soviet filmmakers Sergei Parajanov and Mikhail Vartanov -- posthumously honoring Vigo for the masterpiece Zero de Conduite; Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight presented the award and Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese sent a letter for the occasion with words on Vigo, Paradjanov and Vartanov, all of whom had struggled against censorship.

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Goofs

When the students tie the teacher to the bed, the position of his hands and the bed covers changes between shots as the bed is raised.

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Connections

Featured in Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinémathèque (2004)

User Reviews

Strangely enjoyable.

Yes, this movie is surrealistic alright. Perhaps not as much as for instance a Luis Buñuel movie but it features lots of symbolism and metaphors. You have to like these sort of movies obviously to fully appreciate and enjoy it.

It's of course also a protest to the very strong regime on boarding schools, which makes this movie a social commentary, like often surrealistic-like movies are. It caused Jean Vigo's movies not to be appreciated until after WW II, since prior to that his movies mostly got banned everywhere.

French always had a thing with revolutions, which also plays a central theme within this movie. The movie might feel and look a bit disjointed at times but its always connected through its central themes.

As odd as this movie might seem like at times, it always knows to remain an enjoyable one, with also some good comedy in it at times, as well as some great looking and directed sequences.

An enjoyable little short surrealistic picture from Jean Vigo.

8/10

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