La voie royale (2023) User Reviews

The Times they haven't a-changed ...

[anxiousgayhorseonketamine · 9/10 · 10 December 2023]

This one here says a lot about French society. It covers a lot of areas: la ruralité (life in the countryside away from the centres) the antiquated elite higher education hierarchy which in France carries an absolute fixation on Maths and Physics as if there were absolutely no other area of knowledge worth anything. The 18-year old from a struggling pig-farming family (we see them on a Saturday part of the Gilets Jaunes of the pre-Covid era) is trying to find a place to go to the most prestigious one Ecole Polytechnique which goes back to Napoleonic times actually even before just after the Revolution and where they wear costumes which are 200 years out of date

It also has military status. Anyway she tries to get in there she goes to preparatory classes in Lyon for 2 years to apply to the entry exam.

• Much happens much is made of her social class being unusual in those circles. She makes friends those friendships shift she meets a boy who comes from a mandarinate family etc etc

• The film is extremely well put together. It shows the quasi secret society masonic bullying which goes on in those circles very reminiscent of the campus fraternities in the US and predating them. It shows the teaching techniques or rather apparent lack of them based on pressure and low-level bullying

• She cannot navigate all this at first and that is the core of the story. She realizes most of the guys and girls here are there to have access to power and money either or both and she herself has more lofty goals

• The current French Prime went through this school and is an engineer. In France being an engineer seems to mean you are claircognizant and can therefore lead a country. Makes no sense to me

I grew up in that country and suffered this dogged emphasis on maths and physics subjects I found ridiculously boring 50 years ago and still do. Looks like nothing has changed there. Oh yes and also the use of chalk what the hell really in this day and age ...

So to be clear a really good film giving a very thorough snapshot of French society in 2023 as regards elite education and social gaps in the country

Recommended viewing if education and social class interest you.

Interesting topic

[searchanddestroy-1 · 24 February 2024]

This movie is mostly destined to high rate students, or for those who are not and never will or were - like me for instance - but it's still very interesting, sort of documentary how it works inside those high rank schools; here it is question of mathematics. I was totally zero in maths...And in this movie, they often speak of technicalities about which I got nothing at all. However you have here a very good character study, it's not a winner story, on the contrary, some social elements bring some spice; for example, the lead female character who wants to succeed in maths comes from the countryside, among a peasant family. Very French topic, very fashion in 2024....