Forbidden Games (1952)

A young French girl orphaned in a Nazi air attack is befriended by the son of a poor farmer, and together they try to come to terms with the realities of death.

Director:

René Clément

Writers:

François Boyer (novel), Jean Aurenche (screen adaptation)

Stars:

Georges Poujouly, Brigitte Fossey, Amédée

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Georges Poujouly	...	Michel Dollé
Brigitte Fossey	...	Paulette
Amédée	...	Francis Gouard
Laurence Badie	...	Berthe Dollé
Madeleine Barbulée	...	Une soeur de la Croix-Rouge
Suzanne Courtal	...	Madame Dollé - la mère
Lucien Hubert	...	Joseph Dollé - le père
Jacques Marin	...	Georges Dollé
Marcel Mérovée	...	Raymond Dollé (as Pierre Merovée)
Violette Monnier	...	Renée Dollé
Denise Péronne	...	Jeanne Gouard (as Denise Perronne)
Fernande Roy	...	L'autre fille Gouard
Louis Saintève	...	Le prêtre
André Wasley	...	Gouard - le voisin

Storyline

A girl of perhaps five or six is orphaned in an air raid while fleeing a French city with her parents early in World War II. She is befriended by a pre-adolescent peasant boy after she wandered away from the other refugees, and is taken in for a few weeks by his family. The children become fast friends, and the film follows their attempt to assimilate the deaths they both face, and the religious rituals surrounding those deaths, through the construction of a cemetery for all sorts of animals. Child-like and adult activity are frequently at cross-purposes, however.

---

Plot Keywords:

cemetery | death | dead dog | children | digging a grave | 

---

Taglines:

Acclaimed by the Great Juries of the World!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Turkey, while the film was shown on TRT (national channel of Turkey), its broadcasting was suddenly cut. Instead, a TV program started to be shown. A few days later, it was revealed that the film was removed because of blasphemy.

---

Goofs

When Michel is teaching Paulette prayers, his father boxes his right ear which Michel starts to rub with his right hand. In the close up, Michel is rubbing his left ear with his left hand, and in the next distant shot he's again rubbing his right ear with his right hand.

---

Crazy Credits

There are two alternate opening credits:The main credit starts with a story book and a female hand opens the book to reveal the credits. The alternate still has the same book but this time we are introduced to the two main characters who are sitting by a lake. In this version, Michel's hand is turning the page and in between the scenes he tells Paulette that he's going to tell a story.

---

Connections

Featured in Killer Kid (1994)

User Reviews

wonderful!

Never has the world of adults seemed so utterly stupid, brutal and senseless than through the eyes of two innocent children who have to deal with pain, loss, death and war. And yet, the film is gentle, subtle, inobtrusive in its portrayal of the grown-up's follies, and refreshingly unsentimental about presenting the pain and beauty of childhood.

A masterpiece.

Few other titles come to mind in which child actors have so much to bear, and they manage it effortlessly & unforgettably.

[The only thing that bothers me is the too convincing 'acting' of the dead /?/ dog...]

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

8 December 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Forbidden Games

Filming Locations:

Studios de la Victorine - 16 avenue Edouard Grinda, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,316, 26 April 2015

Gross USA:

$19,889

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,889

Company Credits

Production Co:

Silver Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1