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

Director:

Jean Vigo

Writer:

Jean Vigo (scenario)

Release Date:

21 June 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy | Drama

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

School | Revolt | Penis | Teenager Nudity | Rain

Awards:

1 win

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Georges Belmer	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Georges Berger	...	Correspondent (uncredited)
Pierre Blanchar	...	Un surveillant (uncredited)
Maurice Cariel	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Jean-Pierre Dumesnil	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Michelle Fayard	...	La petite fille (uncredited)
Igor Goldfarb	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Félix Labisse	...	Premier pompier (uncredited)
Lucien Lincks	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Charles Michiels	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Georges Patin	...	Fireman (uncredited)
Roger Porte	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Pierre Regnoux	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Albert Riéra	...	Le vieillard (uncredited)
Ali Ronchy	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Georges Rougette	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Henri Storck	...	Priest (uncredited)
André Thille	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Pierre Tridon	...	Un enfant (uncredited)
Georges Vakalo	...	Le 4e pompier (uncredited)
Paul Vilhem	...	Un enfant (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Vigo

Writing credits
Jean Vigo		(scenario)

Produced by
Jacques-Louis Nounez	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jean Vigo	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Maurice Jaubert

Cinematography by
Boris Kaufman

Film Editing by
Jean Vigo		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Henri Storck		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Massard	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Henri Storck	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pierre Merle	....	assistant director
Albert Riéra	....	assistant director
Henri Storck	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bocquel	....	sound engineer
Marcel Royné	....	sound engineer (as Royné)

Camera and Electrical Department
Louis Berger	....	assistant camera

Production Companies

• Franfilmdis (presents) (as Comptoir Français de Distribution de Films Franfilmdis)
• Argui-Film

Distributors

• Franfilmdis (1945) (France) (theatrical)
• Cine Classics (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• New Cinema Enterprises (1976) (Canada) (theatrical) (16 mm) (subtitled)
• New Cinema Enterprises (1976) (Canada) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Hollywood Home Theatre (1980) (USA) (video) (Betamax) (subtitled)
• Timeless Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Gaumont DVD (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Sherlock Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Pirkanmaan Elokuvakeskus (PEK) (2008) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Zéro de conduite: Jeunes diables au collège" - France (original title)

Runtime:

41 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | France:(Banned) (1933-1946) | France:U (re-rating) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) (2004) | Spain:T | Taiwan:GP | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Franfilmdis

Trivia:

Banned by the French censor until well after World War II.

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Movie Connections:

References The Tramp (1915)

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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