Au Revoir, les enfants

PG

Released Oct 7, 1987

1h 44m

Drama

List

97%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

93%

Audience Score

10,000+ Ratings

In 1943, Julien (Gaspard Manesse) is a student at a French boarding school. When three new students arrive, including Jean Bonnett (Raphael Fejto), Julien believes they are no different from the other boys. What Julien doesn't know is that the boys are actually Jews who are evading capture by the Nazis. While Julien doesn't care for Jean at first, the boys develop a tight bond -- while the head of the school, Père Jean (Philippe Morier-Genoud), works to protect the boys from the Holocaust.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Max

Stream Now

Max

Watch Au Revoir, les enfants with a subscription on Max.

Critics Consensus

Louis Malle's autobiographical tale of a childhood spent in a WWII boarding school is a beautifully realized portrait of friendship and youth.

Read Critics Reviews

Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Herald Examiner

Because his subject -- an eleven-year-old boy’s recognition of the horrors of the adult world -- is such a resonant one, the final effect of his bracing, unencumbered directness is overwhelming. Rarely have audiences’ tears been more honestly wrung.

Aug 9, 2022

Full Review

Kate Muir

Times (UK)

Without being sentimental, the drama is incredibly moving as the muted light plays over young faces that are about to face the unknowable evils of the adult world.

Dec 31, 2017

Full Review

Wally Hammond

Little White Lies

Not the director's best work, but far, far from being his worst either.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 29, 2015

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

This autobiographical film is unquestionably Malle’s most personal project and its story is taken from actual events of his childhood. He wrote, produced, and directed this stirring film that grounds its storytelling in authenticity and in earned emotion.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

A valiant, challenging, and extremely personal film… a masterful work. [Full review in Spanish]

Jun 29, 2022

Full Review

Allen Almachar

The MacGuffin

The powerfully moving WWII story of two friends whose innocence is taken away because of the actions of evil men.

Aug 10, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Christine N

Such a classic coming of age film. Absolute must see for anyone interested in war flics or even foreign films in general. I think everyone should see this movie at least once. It's beautiful

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/11/23

Full Review

Dave S

Louis Malle's Au Revoir les Enfants, a tale of compassion and altruism in the face of abject evil, is the story of a young Jewish boy being sheltered from the Gestapo in a French boarding school for boys during WW2. Written by Malle based on his own experiences as a child, the movie takes its time unravelling the identity of young Jean Bonnett (Raphael Fejto), building suspense subtly and ultimately leading to its devastating final scene. Over his remarkable career, Malle made a handful of great films and while Au Revoir les Enfants may not be the best offering in his considerable oeuvre, it is certainly one of the most impactful and memorable.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

Full Review

Simon E

This semi-auto-biographical film is beautifully written and directed - with such a light touch - as a monastery school tries to protect an 11 year old Jewish boy from the Nazis in occupied France. The monks provide him sanctuary in the purest sense, firendships are formed and his innocence protected during dark times. Honest, restrained and utterly devastating, it's ending is unforgettable.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/07/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Even though the story was heartfelt and true this isn't a film I would have looked for myself. On one hand I found it overly long and outdrawn, sentimental and dull. The message and history behind the movie may have been captivating on some level but its just not my cup of tea. History bound to repeat as it often does is a terrible thought. Id much rather focus on a less dire subject.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

william d

There are some good dramatic moments at the end, but it couldn't compensate for the boredom I felt up until that point.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Has any film ever had a more appropriate title than Louis Malle's "Au Revoir les Enfants?" Surely, this phrase embodies everything that is wistful, tragic, and nostalgic about this sweetly melancholic film. Indeed, the term melancholia feels remarkably appropriate even though much of the activity here depicted is joyous and playful. Despite offering such spirited recollections of French boarding school life, there is a perceptibly somber and even funereal undercurrent permeating the film which is, on the one hand, entirely appropriate, while on the other hand slowly draining to behold. This is, in other words, the type of film that you view, absorb, contemplate, put away, and then return to only seldomly when struck by a particularly sober and pensive frame of mind. Nevertheless, "Au Revoir Les Enfants" leaves an indelible impression on the viewer, reminding us of that twilight period in our own lives when confronting the end of innocence and the beginning of true wisdom.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Louis Malle

Director

Gaspard Manesse

Julien Quentin

Raphael Fejto

Jean Bonnet

Francine Racette

Mme. Quentin

Stanislas Carré de Malberg

Francois Quentin

Philippe Morier-Genoud

Père Jean

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

88%

75%

A Tale of Springtime

77%

93%

Manon of the Spring

43%

69%

Amazing Grace and Chuck

91%

95%

Jean de Florette

86%

75%

Eleni

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In 1943, Julien (Gaspard Manesse) is a student at a French boarding school. When three new students arrive, including Jean Bonnett (Raphael Fejto), Julien believes they are no different from the other boys. What Julien doesn't know is that the boys are actually Jews who are evading capture by the Nazis. While Julien doesn't care for Jean at first, the boys develop a tight bond -- while the head of the school, Père Jean (Philippe Morier-Genoud), works to protect the boys from the Holocaust.

Director: Louis Malle
Screenwriter: Louis Malle
Production Co: NEF Filmproduktion, Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF), Stella Film, MK2 Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 7, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2020
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now