‘Forbidden Games’: A War Orphan’s Sweet, Ultimately Shattering Story

“Forbidden Games” (1952) by René Clément uses the 5 -year war order directly but psychological, the film is sweet, sardonic and, ultimately, it is axis.

Widely (if not universally) acclaimed in its launch and periodically rediscovered as the most worrying French film made after World War II, it returns for a week in Film Forum in a new 4K restoration.

The evocation of multiple traumas, “prohibited games” develops on the eve of the surrender of France to Germany; The opening sequence represents the panic exodus of about two million Parisians in June 1940. Gurra through the open field, the caravan of cars and cars is bombarded by the Nazis. Paulette (Brigitte Fossey) attacks the family car to chase a pet puppy. His parents continue, the German Germans along the way. Adults are killed, but not Paulette. Physically without stopping, she wanders, cradling her dead dog, in fields as verken as Eden.

A beautiful and gold -haired child with a clear direct look, Paulette is discovered by an 11 -year -old farmer, Michel (Georges Poujoulny), and takes his family to his rustic family. They have their own problems, ignoring Paulette. Unable to process what has happened to his parents, he focuses on burying his dog in the company of other small creatures found dead. Eager to join his obsessive game, Michel helps create a secret cemetery, stealing crosses to mark the graves.

He denied the possibility of crying his mother and father, Paulette creates his own ritual. That the child Neinder recognizes the “good lord” of the farm family or understands the symbolism of the crucifix suggests that she can be Jewish (or had free parents). Be that as it may, its difficulty in understanding its loss highlights the failure of French Catholic metaphysics. In fact, Paulette’s ingenuity makes the customs that he observes even more strange.

At the same time, another “forbidden game” is developed below by: Michel’s eldest son fights in the hay with the neighbor’s son, a newly retired army. Families already hate each other and in a ridiculous argument on the missing crosses, the respective parents come to hit an open grave.

He did not hug immediately, the “forbidden games” were considered too low for the Cannes Film Festival. Was it that, as suggested by the New York Times critic, Foresttyhther in their appreciation, the French were too hard “confused by their own ingeniously ignorant, hypocritical and inhuman fixed ideas?” Or was it because it was, as Crowter pointed out, “a little 5 -year -old girl” appeared as “the imposing symbol of the fixed devastation of the war?” – A comment made months after the American publication of the Anne Frank newspaper.

As “prohibited games” they filled a necessity then, so could now. We live in a world where death rains from heaven and tens of thousands of children are killed or orphans, just like Paulette. The opening assault reverbera through the excursion, but “prohibited games” saves its most heartbreaking moment for the climate “rescue” of Paulette.

Prohibited games

Until May 15 at Film Forum in Manhattan, Filmforum.org.