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IMDb > Les enfants terribles (1950)

Les enfants terribles (1950) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   898 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Jean Cocteau (novel)
Jean Cocteau (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Les enfants terribles on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 July 1952 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
Elisabeth is very protective of her teenage brother Paul, who is injured in a snowball fight at school and has to rest in bed most of the time... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. more
User Comments:
My two favorite French filmmakers collaborate and turn out a masterpiece more

Cast

  (Credited cast)
Nicole Stéphane ... Elisabeth
Edouard Dermithe ... Paul
Renée Cosima ... Dargelos / Agathe
Jacques Bernard ... Gerard
Melvyn Martin ... Michael
Maria Cyliakus ... The Mother
Jean-Marie Robain ... Headmaster
Maurice Revel ... Doctor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adeline Aucoc ... Mariette
Jean Cocteau ... Narrator (voice)
Rachel Devirys
Roger Gaillard ... Gerard's Uncle
Emile Mathys ... Vice Principal
Hélène Rémy
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Jean Cocteau's Les enfants terribles (France) (complete title)
The Strange Ones
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Runtime:
105 min
Country:
France
Language:
French | English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
West Germany:18 (nf) | UK:12 (2000) | UK:X (1952) | UK:X (1976) (re-rating) | Spain:18
Filming Locations:
Ermenonville, Oise, France more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Jean Cocteau was allowed a day of shooting, when Jean-Pierre Melville wasn't feeling up to the mark. Cocteau was to follow Melville's instructions exactly or do nothing at all. Eight shots in all, which were supposed to be of a summer's day but were done in midwinter in the rain. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004) (VG) more
Soundtrack:
Concerto in A minor for 2 violins and string orchestra (Opus 3, No. 8; RV 522) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
My two favorite French filmmakers collaborate and turn out a masterpiece, 19 August 2008
9/10
Author: TimothyFarrell from Worcester, MA

Jean Pierre Melville and Jean Cocteau are my two favorite filmmakers from France, but for me, they couldn't be more opposite in style. Melville is best known for minimalist, low-key, and realistic crime dramas such as "Le Samourai" and "Army of Shadows", whereas Jean Cocteau creates operatic and dreamlike fantasies such as "Beauty and the Beast". I was worried, despite my love for both auteurs, that Melville directing and Cocteau writing the screenplay wouldn't mesh at all. Fortunately, their collaboration turned out an absolutely gorgeous masterpiece. Jean Cocteau narrates the film in his typically poetic style. This adds a dreamlike layer to a film full of bizarre yet plausible situations, so it doesn't go against Melville's established sense of realism.

The direction by Melville is, unsurprisingly, superb. This was before he made his more acclaimed masterpieces, but its obvious he was very skilled from the start. The pacing is perfect without a single scene or shot gone to waste. The acting by the youths is uneven, which is the only slight flaw. Edouard Dermithe (who later starred in Cocteau's "Orpheus" and "The Testament of Dr. Orpheus") is too melodramatic and over-the-top, but the rest of the cast fares very well. Nicole Stéphane in particular is terrific as the cold sister fanatically devoted to her brother. Fortunately, Cocteau manages to avoid any incestuous undertones that a cheaper artist would feel compelled to attach to the material (and honestly, I was frightened that they'd be present here initially). I'm glad the great Criterion has released this film to DVD. Hopefully, it'll obtain the larger audience it deserves. (9/10)

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Dermithe too old? tcsung
The Song that Michael sings in this film...? mackjay2
Music question - Bach? levi-elijah
Brilliant dixon-20
DVD? xbhaskarx
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