THE CHORUS (French with English subtitles)

 

There is a tried and true formula that has worked in movies since the glory days of Hollywood. You can see it at work in such classics as “The Mayor of Hell” and its two imitators - “Crime School” and “Hell’s Kitchen” with The Dead End Kids and  James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Ronald Reagan respectively. Those films were a product of the Great Depression and reflected the times as did “Lean on Me” and “Stand and Deliver” in theirs. “The Chorus” is a much more gentler film that follows the same pattern but it is nonetheless affecting.

 

Clement Mathieu is a roly-poly  middle aged musician forced by economics to take a job as a supervisor at a rural boys reform school. He looks like an easy mark for pranks and ridicule but he knows how to survive by rolling with the punches   He’s nobody’s fool - not the kids and not the principal’s. His timidity does not hinder his tenacity. Mathieu needs his job but he won’t sacrifice his dignity or what’s left of the boys’ self respect to keep it. Like Father Flanagan of  Boys Town, Mr. Mathieu believes there is no such thing as a bad kid. The principal wants Mathieu to keep the boys in line. Mathieu wants them to follow his example.  He uses his music to achieve both goals. Mathieu writes choral pieces for the school’s first choir. In predictable fashion, there are kids who sing well and others who don’t.

 

“The Chorus” boils down to Mathieu’s interest one gifted boy, the troubled Pierre Morhange.(Jean Baptiste Maunier). Mathieu takes an active role in Pierre’s future and begins a dialogue with the boy’s mother who left Pierre at the school when she was destitute. Not surprisingly, Mathieu becomes infatuated with her. His fantasy of giving her a better life is never overt. Elation and disappointment are equal partners on Gerard Jugnot’s expressive face. He likewise moves through the film using his body language to reveal his feelings. A simple look, pursed lips or a shrug of the shoulder take the place of words where the walls have ears. Unfortunately, Pierre can read his feelings and misinterprets his motives. As in all formula films, differences are ironed out for the good of all but not before director Christophe Barratier pays homage to the conventions of the genre. “The Chorus” has the evil principal, the good boys and the bad boys and the resistant bad boy who is blamed for something he didn’t do. His set up has the feel of an early 40’s East Side Kids movie with Mugsy taking the fall for someone else. But luckily the outcome in “The Chorus” is not what you might expect. An act of revenge brings “The Chorus” to a satisfactory conclusion that comes full circle to Pierre Morhange as the orchestra conductor who began reading the deceased Mr. Mathieu’s journal at the beginning of the movie.

 

Even though the outcome of “The Chorus” as a given, I was still choked up. The wonderful music is a bonus.

 

                                                                                                                      Copyright 2005

 

Once again here are some classic troubled boys films with a star to show them the way

 

“The Mayor of Hell” (1933) - James Cagney tries to clean up a reform school with the help of some political cronies. With one of the great child actors of the thirties, Frankie Darro. (see Darro in William Wellman’s “Wild Boys of the Road” from the same year)

 

“Crime School” (1938) - Humphrey Bogart tries to clean up a reform school with the Dead End Kids who emulated Bogey as a gangster in “Dead End” (1937) thwarting him every step of the way.

 

“Hell’s Kitchen” (1939) - Once again the Dead End Kids are need of reform in this remake of “The Mayor of Hell.” With Stanley Fields and Ronald Reagan.

 

“Boys Town” (1938) - Spencer Tracy won his second Oscar in this superb bio about the famous Father Flanagan who believed there was no such thing as a bad boy. Tough kid Mickey Rooney is his first recruit for his school for wayward boys. In 1941, both actors reprised their roles for “Men of Boys Town.”  

 

“Lean on Me” (1989) - Morgan Freeman is mesmerizing as  the real life “Crazy Joe Clark” who never talked softly and always carried a big stick - a baseball bat - through the beleaguered high school he was hired to whip into shape.

 

“Stand and Deliver” (1987) - Edward James Olmos plays real life high school math teacher Jaime Escalante who inspired a group of would-be dropouts to study for and pass an advanced calculus class to get into college. When they pass, the scores are challenged because of the students’ socioeconomic background. Many are offended but rise to the challenge to prove themselves - again. With Lou Diamond Phillips as one of the students.