Clement Mathieu is a new prefect at a school where the previous method of discipline led by Principal Rachin has left the boys distressed and without interest in learning. Mathieu sees sadness in the boys and is warned against their behavior by other teachers. However, when some boys steal Mathieu's music, he gets an idea to form a chorus to reconnect with the boys' humanity and spark their interests again.
2. Characters
Gérard Jugnot ... Clément Mathieu
François Berléand ... Rachin
Kad Merad ... Chabert
Jean-Paul Bonnaire ... La Père Maxence
Marie Bunel ... Violette Morhange
Jean-Baptiste Maunier ... Pierre Morhange
Maxence Perrin ... Pépinot
Grégory Gatignol ... Mondain
Thomas Blumenthal ... Corbin
Cyril Bernicot ... Le Querrec
Simon Fargeot ... Boniface
Théodule Carré-Cassaigne ... Leclerc
Philippe Du Janerand ... Monsieur Langlois
Carole Weiss ... La Comtesse
Erick Desmarestz ... Le Docteur Dervaux
3. Gérard Jugnot ... Clément
Mathieu
When a new prefect, Clement
Mathieu (Gerard Jugnot) enters the
school, he sees a sad picture of
Rachin method: distressed,
resistive boys without any interest
in anything and teachers leaving
the school to save their life.
Everybody in school lost all hope in
the boys ability to be better
people. Nobody believes in them,
and old teachers are warning
Mathieu against the boys. You can
see sad eyes of the boys without
any sparks.
4. Clement Mathieu is a sad man too. It seems like he has lost
his family during the war and become a very lonely, aging
man, who sees his bright future no more. For some reason
he gave up his life and his passion: music. He was a
composer. When he meets the boys for the first time, it
seems like he is going to lose the first "battle" for the
authority in the classroom. He gets involved in a few
incidents with the boys in presence of Rachin, but
surprisingly for the boys, Mathieu steps up to protect the
boys against punishments. The boys appreciate it and start
looking at Mathieu like a man who cares about them. When
a small group of boys led by Pierre Morhange steals
Mathieu's brief case with music scripts, the prefect gets an
idea. He establishes a chorus.
5. François Berléand ... Rachin
The school is
ruled by a
ruthless
principal Rachin
who accepts
only one method
of discipline:
"action -
reaction".