La communale (1965) - full transcript
We are in a little village of Lorraine in the thirties: a couple of teachers is working in the public school.They have a son called Pierre.The dream of the father has been to have a car.With their savings the family bought a Peugeot 301,the father is a little shy, but his brother, will encourage him to learn to drive.The grandfather of the family died and the day of burial the car remained trapped in mud.
PRIMARY SCHOOL
THE OUTSKIRTS OF NANCY ...
... AROUND 1930
♪ Abreuve nos sillons! ♪
Come on, let's start again. One, two—
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Patrie!
Le jour de gloire est arrivé! ♪
♪ Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé ! ♪
Listen to yourselves, what are you singing!
Let's start again! Pay attention! One, two—
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Patrie!
Le jour de gloire... ♪
Stop, stop. You sing it for me.
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Partie! ♪
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Partie—! v
If only Rouget de Lisle could hear you!
So let's try it again. Pay attention!
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Patrie!
Le jour de gloire est arrivé! ♪
♪ Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé ! ♪
♪ L'étendard sanglant est levé !
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes ♪
♪ Mugir ces féroces soldats? ♪
Stand up, Merial!
La Marseillaise should be sung standing up!
♪ Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras,
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes. ♪
♪ Aux armes, citoyens! ♪
♪ Marchons, marchons!
Qu'un sang impur— ♪
♪ Abreuve nos sillons! ♪
Have you any water?
- Are you sure it's water Monsieur wants?
- Of course, water! And fresh water.
Get the vases from the back, you kids. Go!
Will this do the trick?
- Ah yes, but that won't be enough.
- Come on everyone, bring the vases. Come on.
There you are now.
- Is that all you've got?
- No, I still have the kindergarten class
and my wife's junior class.
- Good, bring them too.
Watch the vases!
Progress, children, is an admirable thing.
It demonstrates man's genius.
But beware:
Science without conscience—
—only destroys the soul.
- Very good.
Do you know what happened to Icarus?
But first, who actually was Icarus?
M Jean Royer?
- A coordinating conjunction, Sir?
- What?
- There are 7 coordinating conjunctions:
Or, mais, ou, donc, et, ni, car.
- You'll always be on the moon.
Aeroplanes didn't exist in Icarus' time—
did they, M Laprévote?
Icarus lived on an island
in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
- Silent e, M Goslain!
But one day he had the crazy idea—
—to fly away! F, l, y, M Borel!
Like a bird. So what did he do?
He stuck feathers on to his arms
with wax to make wings.
Then he flew away. He flew up.
He flew high into the sky.
Into the clouds, and higher, and higher.
Higher still, up to the Sun.
And what happened? The wax melted.
and he fell! Just like—?
- Like a lead balloon?
- Like a lead balloon!
Laprévote: 732?
- Charles Martel defeats
the Arabs at Poitiers.
- Tibez: 1805?
- Victory at Austerlitz.
- Joubert: 1415?
- Battle of Agincourt.
- Carais: 800?
- Charlemagne is crowned Emperor.
- Goslain: 1789?
- Storming of the Bastille.
- Very good.
And M Jean Royer: 1515?
No finger in the nose, Mr Roumagnac!
Don't breathe a word!
Don't breathe a word.
Anyone who does will get a bad mark.
1515?
One of the most beautiful
dates in our history.
No, Mr. Goslain!
- Battle of Marignan!
- Mr. Bigeard!
This is the third time
you've given an answer.
I warned you.
Too bad, I'm closing the window.
♪ Ahoy! Ahoy! ♪
♪ Ahoy, ahoy matey,
Matey sails the sea. ♪
♪ Ahoy, ahoy matey,
Matey sails the sea. ♪
Keep it up, children, I'll be right back.
Here, your bonbon.
♪ He undertook a long trip, ♪
♪ He undertook a long trip, ♪
Thank you Madame.
♪ On the Me-Me-Mediterranean Sea, ♪
♪ On the Me-Me-Mediterranean Sea, ♪
9 times 9, 81.
10 times 9, 90.
- All right, that's it for today.
It's time, go home.
Go on, do your essay. I'll be right back.
Well, old chap?
Hurry up, Pierre.
You keep dawdling, dawdling.
Pierre, I'm going to get angry!
Make an effort!
What's the topic?
- What career would you like to have and why.
- Good, so think about it.
Come on, Pierre. Your father'll be home soon
and you won't even have started.
- I'd like to be Pope.
- I'm warning you, Pierre,
you'll go to bed with no dinner!
- Pastry cook?
- Not bad.
But don't you think, with education,
you could do better?
- Engine-driver?
- Oh that's too dirty.
And they have accidents.
How about becoming a lawyer?
You'd have to wear a big black robe.
You'd defend the innocent.
Well? A lawyer?
- I don't know what to say about it.
- Fine. Choose the profession of teacher.
Pierre, I've had enough. It's the same every
Wednesday. You dozing over your notebooks.
What better job—Your finger!
than being a teacher.
Well, that's a good start.
And no spelling mistakes.
Come on, keep going.
Uncle Henri!
- Hello everyone! It's dark in here!
- Henri, you scare me to death
every time you come in!
- Good news! Herriot got the investiture.
How are you?
- I'm fine.
- How about you? Still stuck into your books?
You're going to kill the boy.
Come on, throw all of it out the window.
- But Henri, he has to work.
He'll end up bottom of the class.
He'll never get his School Certificate.
Ah, my poor sister, You think those with
diplomas reach the top of the social ladder.
Well you're very wrong!
Let me tell you,
what matters in life, my little boy,
it's to open your eye, the good one.
- Come on Henri, be serious.
And you've been on a spending spree!
- You don't look very well, what's wrong?
Where's your husband?
- I don't know.
- You don't know?
- He left.
- Where to?
- I don't know.
- You, come with me.
I'll see you in five minutes.
Has he been gone for long?
- A couple of hours.
After school. He took his hat and left.
- Did he have a case?
- No, not even his knitting.
He's been going out
every evening for a fortnight.
- Well then, he's just
gone for a drink, that's all.
- Really. A man who never drank.
- Stop. Dry your tears.
I'm going to the Brasserie des Vosges.
I bet you 100 sous I bring him back.
Come on, you, we're going for a walk.
- Henri! He hasn't done his French essay!
- He can finish it tomorrow, it's Thursday!
Now, is it true
your Dad's buying a wireless set?
- He doesn't want us to tell.
- Of course, but you can tell me.
- Can I?
He's already bought it!
- Really?
- We put it in the dining room.
In there you can't hear it from outside.
- Ah, you're lucky, you civil servants.
No need to worry about tomorrow.
To think, after the last war, if I'd stayed
in the Army, I could have retired by now.
Want some chewing gum?
- Thanks.
- Have you done any canning this year?
- Yes.
- Peas?
- Oh yes!
- A lot?
- Eighty bottles!
- Even with all that, teachers will come
complaining about being unhappy!
Always the same in France.
You have to be well off or a civil servant.
The rest, the small savers,
have to work until the end of their days.
After the last war,
they told us Subscribe!
Now how much are the Russian coupons worth?
And the state loan? What was that for?
To rearm Germany, quite simple!
Well now, what's all this?
- It's not bad
but you're afraid to go too fast.
Yes, I'm afraid of bends too.
- Are you insured?
- Yes, with the Teachers' Mutual.
- That's fine then. Good night, Teacher.
- Good night, see you tomorrow.
Oh no, not tomorrow.
I'm rehearsing Carmen with the band.
So the day after?
- All right! Good evening.
Hello, little man, having a good time?
You and Henri—What are you two doing here?
- Well, what about you?
- A friend offered to teach me to drive.
- What about the insurance?
- No, insurance is something else.
The insurance—
- Insurance is a joke.
And I thought you were
at the Brasserie des Vosges.
- Henri, don't mention
this to your sister. I'll explain.
It's a surprise, it's a Peugeot.
- A Peugeot?
301.
- The 301?
Well you see, your husband wasn't lost.
- You should have told me
you were helping the Mayor
write his speech for the Agricultural Show.
- Come on, cheers!
Let me know what you think of
this little mirabelle.
- It's good!
- It's two years old already, you know.
- Feels like it's taken on a flavour—
- A flavour?
- Yes, as if it had been shaken up.
As if it had been carried in an automobile.
A 301 for example.
in which the driver can't change gear.
- Henri, you spout rubbish and give
the kid an excuse not to work.
How far have you got?
Later, when I grow up—
And how is Germaine?
- Fine. Still has rheumatism in her shoulder.
- and the time to choose has—comme?
- With me, it's my back that hurts.
- Come! One m!
- You know, the day will come when
we won't have to struggle any more.
- for me, I would choose
the profession of teacher.
Ah if only I had gone back
into teaching after the last war!
- It's not always a bed of roses bringing up
other people's children, you know.
- All right, but you have your Thursdays off!
That's huge. You can have a garden.
- Oh Thursdays, yes,
let's talk about Thursdays.
When we have to stay in the classroom
every evening, sometimes until 10pm.
Correcting exercise books,
preparing the blackboard, science lessons.
- Oh what a beautiful profession
the teaching profession is!
Yes, you have the holidays
and some small perks.
- What could be more exciting—
- Free electricity.
- than to be part—
- And in some towns, you don't pay for water.
- of the awakening—
- You know, water costs a lot.
- of young minds.
- And what about retirement? Oh, retirement!
It doesn't matter, if I had my time
over again, I'd take your place!
- Then you'd be wrong.
Teaching kills its man.
The future now is the railways.
- Not at all! A teacher is privileged
compared to a railway worker!
Your hands are never filthy with coal!
And say what you like—
from time to time some parent bringing you
a dozen eggs, or a little rabbit?
- No, no.
- All things considered, there's nothing
better than being a teacher.
- Nothing worse, you mean.
So where have you got to now?
What? Eggs, little rabbits, little perks?
- Is the essay finished? The soup's ready.
- And your son: what are you going
to do with him? A teacher, I presume.
- I certainly hope not!
Look, he'll do what he wants to do.
If I were in his place, I'd choose pharmacy.
Go, the Loire's tributaries, quickly!
The source of the Loire is at
Mont Gerbier-de-Jonc,1370m.
It has on its left the Allier, the Cher—
- What are you chewing? Open your mouth.
Chewing gum! Please go and
spit that down the toilet right now.
See that? Keeping bad company!
Can I go out and play?
- Do you know your lesson?
- One cannot read the story of Joan of Arc's
death without experiencing deep emotion.
The English soldiers seized her brutally
and the executioner tied her to the stake.
Joan exclaimed—
- "Water, holy water".
You don't know it. Learn it.
- The others get to play on Thursdays.
- Take advantage, my dear son, of what
your parents are trying to teach you.
You'll thank us one day.
- Jeanne exclaimed "Water! holy water!"
The English soldier who
witnessed the execution exclaimed
"We are lost! We have burned a saint."
"We are lost! We have burned a saint."
"This sweet young peasant girl gave us
a perfect example of love of one's country!"
Is anyone here?
- Yes?
- Do you need help?
- No thanks.
Thank you, Sir.
- Pierre, what are you doing here?
Get back to work!
Move!
Are you sure the Inspector will come?
- Sure? No.
- So why did you ask us
to put on our Sunday best?
- There's a chance he'll come.
Do you know your list of words ending in ou
that take an x in the plural?
In case the Inspector questions you.
- Bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou—
- Pou! Repeat.
- Pou.
- No, repeat everything.
- Everything.
- No, from the beginning!
- Pou, genou, hibou, joujou—
- Pou.
- Pou.
May I introduce my wife,
teacher for the preparatory class.
This is M—I'm sorry, I don't know your name.
- Raoul! Everyone calls me
M Raoul at the garage.
- M Raoul is delivering our car.
I thought, for our 15th anniversary—
Anyway, there. I've bought a car.
What's the matter? What's wrong?
- It's not important. It's nothing.
- Pierre, Pierre, out you go for a second.
- Come come, Madame,
you mustn't get yourself into such a state.
- Listen to what Mr. Raoul is saying.
Pierre, get out for a sec.
- An automobile, after all,
is a joyful event.
- Get out!
Do you hear what Mr. Raoul is saying?
Come on, pull yourself together
and serve us something.
Tell me Monsieur, with a car like that,
do you think I could get—
in the same day—to Paris, for example?
- Paris?
Ah Monsieur, remember this car of ours
won the Monte-Carl Grand Prix last year.
- Monte-Carl?
Ah, Mr. Raoul probably means
Monte-Carlo, on the Côte d'Azur.
- Yes, of course. And without a compressor!
- Without a—?
- Com-press-or!
- Oh yes, yes.
Simply with a good production car.
Like yours.
What are you doing in there?
Come back upstairs, quickly!
Children!
- I know, I have six of them.
- Six?
- Yes Madame, six!
But rest assured I have the 301
family sedan with the two folding seats.
I could even have my mother-in-law on top.
- Pierre, say hello to this gentleman.
- Monsieur.
- The other hand!
- It doesn't matter, Madame.
They're both the same.
The automobile—
—will soon be within everyone's reach.
Sorry, sorry.
- Oh it doesn't matter, don't worry.
Did you have to go to high school?
- Me? No school!
Learned everything in my father's garage.
- No, I meant for singing.
- No need.
- Don't you think—schools—
can sometimes do some good?
If only for developing one's skills?
- Let me tell you.
When we have skills—
schools—
—are an obstacle rather than anything else.
Oh there! I must go!
- A last drink?
- No thanks.
I've already delivered two cars today.
Thank you.
Very interesting, that M Raoul.
- Oh yes, very!
- We should invite him on a Sunday
with his wife and children.
- That's a good idea.
The engines we manufacture
today are really great.
They do exactly what you want.
Better than pupils.
This is what we call the dipped headlights.
It's used in the country
when we meet a car coming towards us.
A doctor, an ambulance.
And this is the full headlights.
- Mum!
Well, look, her picture wasn't lost.
A moth struck by this powerful ray of light—
could lose control of itself and come up
against the front of the automobile.
And these are what we call driving lights.
Only used in cities with sufficient lighting,
such as Nancy.
Generally cities with
more than 100,000 inhabitants.
Pierre, the list?
- Nancy, Paris, Bordeaux—
- OK, that's good!
- You're crazy, you'll wake the neighbours.
- No!
- No! Traffic regulations authorize use of
the horn until 10pm in towns.
Since the time of the stagecoaches,
humanity has continued to make progress.
Is that all you wrote? Two lines?
When I drive around in a car, I'm very happy.
Well that's not much.
Think a little. Write down why you're happy.
Describe what's inside the car.
Imagine the landscapes you see,
the sensation of speed.
- I don't know how to explain it, Sir.
- I don't know how to explain it—
I don't know how to explain it, Sir.
Is that an answer?
Try to think, for goodness' sake!
It's an essay!
Let's see, what if I give you the topic:
"Tell me about a trip in an automobile".
And you sit like that.
The automobile!
The automobile, my dear children!
The internal combustion engine!
The great revolution
of our modern 20th century!
It doesn't—It doesn't mean anything to you,
does it? Doesn't it ring a bell?
All right, think about it. Imagine
that you are inside the car and it's moving.
Well, M Ruel,
you haven't written anything yet?
- I've never been in an automobile.
- And you?
- I've been in a car, Sir,
but it wasn't moving.
- What about you?
- I've only been on the back of a truck, Sir.
- And you?
- Once, I wanted to take the bus
into the city, Sir, but it didn't stop.
- Well!
Tell me, has any of you ever
been in an aautomobile?
All right, get your stuff. Your slate,
a pencil and your cape.
No, no, you stay here! You already know.
Take the opportunity to learn your geography.
Come on!
Take off your berets.
Gentlemen, this monument
commemorates the sacrifice
of those who gave
their lives for the Fatherland.
Dates of the Great War?
- 1914-1918.
- Very good. As you can see, sometimes
a flame is left to remember them.
It's also called "the flame of memory".
In their memory,
we will observe a minute's silence.
But beware.
A minute is a minute and silence is silence!
Isn't that so, M Carais?
Take off your berets. I'll count to three.
Pay attention: one, two, three.
What's going on?
Never seen a manhole before?
And you? Want my picture?
Oh I see. Well, me too.
I made it through 14-18.
So what?
They're really too young
to be taught all about that.
- Put your berets back on, it's done!
Monsieur, let me explain.
All right, let's carry on, children.
What do we call that man you can see?
- A gardener?
- No, not a gardener.
- A worker?
- A worker, very good.
But what kind of worker?
- A wild worker?
- No marks, M Claudon!
- This man is called a lum-ber-jack.
Repeat after me.
A lum-ber-jack.
- Recite "the lumberjack".
Ah, what a beautiful profession,
the profession of a lumberjack.
- Ruffians! Instead of going to school you
try to poison one of the workers!
- Hey! Are you a saboteur?
- It's because of those hooligans!
Oh, Carais, really!
Are you a man or what? Come on! Cross
like a man. That's it, big boy, that's it.
There you are.
Good! Come on, come on.
Boys, admire the extraordinary
calorific power of the sun.
I can say without fear of contradiction that
a single ray could replace a hundred irons.
Who sneezed?
A bonbon for whoever just sneezed.
Very well, put your socks back on.
The co-coon!
- Good.
And what is inside the cocoon?
- The chry-sa-lis
- Very good!
And what will become of the chrysalis?
Well? Come on.
Well? What will happen to the chrysalis?
It's going to become a—a—?
A—A—?
Well M Goslain, am I boring you?
To your place, quickly! Please hurry up!
Children, we're now going
to collect cocoons to study in class.
One at a time. Gently.
We'll put them in the boot of the automobile.
Come on, come on.
Take turns, quick! Hurry up, hurry up!
Thank you Laprévote.
Come on, hurry. That's good.
Right then. Midon?
- Here.
- Simonet?
- Here.
- Sorel?
- Here.
- Taverniard?
- Here.
- Veinart?
- Here.
- Gibert Christian?
- Here.
- Gibert Louis?
- Here.
Well everyone's here except Carais.
Carais! Carais!
Carais!
Car—
- Here!
- Into the line!
Children, children, listen to me.
This is where your French composition starts.
Obviously I can't take
you all in the car at once.
So you will go in fours.
Each in your turn. Understood?
Right then, first four, with me.
You others wait for me.
Be quiet. Come on, Tibez.
Are your hands clean?
Good yes. That's okay. Laprévote?
We'll talk about your nails later!
All right, that's enough, three at the back.
You get in front with me, Goslain. Go on.
Wait quietly, now!
And you, Tibez, what would you say?
- I don't know Sir. It's beautiful?
- Yes it's beautiful.
Anything else?
- It's definitely big.
- Is that all you can think of?
The rumble of the engine, there,
purring like a submissive beast, yes?
And you, Laprévote, what would you say?
- Me, Sir? I would say that when I grow up,
I'll be unemployed.
I'll buy a car and
drive around in it all the time.
- Unemployed—
You've already forgotten
Tuesday's lesson about work.
Does anyone remember it?
- Me, sir.
What do you do when you see an old man
walking painfully at the side of the road—
bent under a heavy burden?
- Do we say hello to him?
- We carry his basket to the top of the hill
and wait for him to get there?
- No marks! The morals composition for
School Certificate is going to be great!
When we meet a man bent—B E N T, M Roumagnac—
under a heavy load,
we invite him aboard.
Get in, my dear fellow!
- Eh?
- Get in! Get in!
It must be painful to carry such a burden
under the bright sun.
Come on. You, come here.
- It's heavy!
- This way, no problem.
- There are a lot of you in the car.
So these kids don't go to school?
- They actually do, Monsieur.
- Are they all yours?
- In a way, yes.
Well all credit to your wife!
I had two, but I won't be doing it again.
A drop of red wine?
- Oh no, no. Never while driving.
- And you, little man, to help you grow?
- No, not the children, no.
They only drink milk.
- You'll never make soldiers of them!
How can we relax in these cars?
We shouldn't have legs! Plus it's noisy!
It smells of petrol.
- Isn't that your pig?
- My pig doesn't smell of petrol!
- No, maybe it smells like a pig.
- But I've just told you
there's a smell of petrol!
It's the first time I've been in one,
and it's definitely the last.
Damn, how uncomfortable we are!
- Watch the countryside.
The countryside? Well yes, a pretty view!
Now they've put poles everywhere.
- Right then, here you are
at the top of the hill.
- You're not going to leave me here?
I live nearby.
- Yes, but they're waiting for us.
- So's my wife, for me!
I'll drop you here, then.
- Would you like a little drink?
- No, no thank you. Very nice of you.
- What d'you mean No?
You're not leaving just like that?
- No, but it's getting late.
- One drink and then you can go.
- No, no, thanks, really,
they're waiting for us.
- Look, I'm not getting out of your car
unless you come.
- Well then, one little drink
and we go right after.
Get out, you boys. Hurry up, get out, boys.
Stay there, boys.
And don't touch anything!
- Well?
- Yes, I'm coming. Sit down.
Well? Are you coming?
You're crazy!
Come on, faster!
My idea? Just that you're
giving yourself trouble for nothing.
Mum!
Goodbye.
- Goodbye.
But—where's the car—Where's the car?
Answer me! Where's the car?
- Sir, we haven't seen it.
- I'm warning you, there'll be bad marks!
Where's the car? Tibez, answer me.
Where is the car?!
- I don't know Sir. We didn't mean to do it,
it just started by itself.
- Started by itself? Where is it?
Where did it go? Where?
Hey, you! Look at this!
You do strange things with your machine!
It looks like a building site!
What a mess! What if I came to
your place and did something like this!
Look at it! Don't you have a garage?
Why not go back through the dining-room
while you're at it!
Or maybe the bedroom.
There's still a chance Grandma hasn't—
Four hours! What are they doing?
- Dammit, we'll never all get a turn.
- Man, we're in trouble because of his car.
- Here they are! Here they are!
Damn! They didn't even stop for us!
- Run! We'll catch them!
What do these dirty kids want with me?
Come on men, we'll take the shortcuts!
As if I'd nothing better to do!
The next car to run into my barn
I'll shoot it in the wheels!
- Help me! Listen. Help me instead of—
- Come on.
No, over there, over there.
And on the other side.
- I can't even shift it!
- No no. Don't grab it by the handle.
Come on, they're over there.
We're lost!
Come on guys!
We're lost! We're lost! We're lost!
We're lost!
Five.
Is your older son back?
- No, Mayor.
All right, go and register there.
5, 6, 7, 8, 9—
Your Michel is missing, right?
- Yes, Mayor.
10, 11, 12, 13—
Two from your house?
- Yes, Mayor.
And no one's come back to your house either?
- No, Mayor.
14, 15, 16—
And Madame Ruel?
Your Jean hasn't come home either?
- No Mayor. Neither has my Jeannot,
nor my Louis, nor my François.
I only have this one left.
17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22—
23 missing!
Where can they be?
- I don't know, Mayor, I'm the same as you.
- Surely we'll find them!
- Here are a few already.
- I found these boys
in the woods at Petit-Mont.
- What about the others?
- Probably quite a few around Vezouze.
I heard crying as I crossed the bridge.
- Go on, hurry up!
Call out the firemen! Everyone! Come on!
Teacher, what were you thinking?
Managing to lose an entire class in one go!
- Listen—
- Except your own, of course!
- No, this—
- You realise the gravity of the situation?
- Yes of course I do—
- No, please, no excuses!
The Municipal Council will advise.
What will people think of us?
What confidence can they have in our leaders?
Well—Grandpa's dead.
- Oh poor Dad. Oh that's too awful.
- Poor Henri. My love.
Go on, let it out my dear, have a good cry.
All right, I'll dictate.
Announcement.
Widow Humbert, the Martel
and Sunnet—e, t—families, comma—
—are saddened to have to inform you
of the death—
—of Mr. Felix Humbert—at the age of 82.
The funeral—Tibez!
Blots, always blots!
Funeral—e r a l—
Oh no, that's not good.
Zero!
Last year, for Mr. Bournik's funeral,
you managed to ruin three cards.
Come on, do it again.
The funeral—r a l—
will take place—on May 12—
in the strictest—
privacy.
Take your stuff and go home.
The religious service
will be celebrated in the church of—
Saint-Martin in Bayon.
21, 22, 23 and 24.
Thery'e all here.
There may be some
that have a few crossing-outs.
- That doesn't matter.
- Anyway, no spelling mistakes.
If we post them now they'll arrive on time.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome, it's the least I can do.
- What train will you take?
- I thought we might take the car.
In a bereavement, people cannot say anything.
- Ah so it's been delivered?
- Of course.
- Splendid.
Poor Grandpa, it's so sad.
He died too soon.
- Such an upright man.
Such a patriot.
- Watch out, you'll crumple
my seat covers, Pierre.
- Did you see that?
I passed him without any effort.
- Dad, there's another one! Pass him!
- No, no! We're not in a race.
- At last I'm happy with my seat covers.
And I can boil the fabric, it's colourfast.
Oh what a donkey!
Who does he think he is!
- Watch out, watch out!
- Don't be afraid, it's a modern car.
Poor Grandpa.
- Well done!
It's going fast, though!
- And it's not done yet!
We'll take the shortcut, you'll see.
You'll see how these cars can go everywhere.
He's crazy!
Well? What did I tell you?
A tank wouldn't do any better.
OK, come on.
It's a normal phenomenon.
The wheel doesn't grip on the wet clay.
Starting slowly, I think it'll be fine.
They might maintain the roads!
Oh dear, it's so distressing!
Poor France!
- Poor Grandpa.
The first bell for mass!
- That's a shame, we were almost there.
Another 50 metres and it downhill again.
Come on, get out.
I'll start and you push when I tell you.
Not there, not there! From behind!
No, no, not on the glass.
You'll end up going straight through!
Here, against the boot. Watch out!
Come on, push!
Come on, push! Push!
- You're not pushing?
- But we were pushing!
- All right, I'll find someone else.
- You wanted this car!
My seat covers will be just lovely now!
Monsieur!
The mass is starting now.
And we're still stuck here.
- You and your machine!
You're lucky it's for a funeral!
- This is my wife, preparatory class teacher.
This is Mr—
I don't know your name.
- Delametrot.
My sincere condolences.
They're so dirty!
- Is that mud?
Did you see inside the car?
Thank you Mrs Ringart.
- Thank you Mrs Ringart.
Little ruffian!
Lucky you're not in my class!
Hey, come back here and take your—!
I've never seen that before!
- It's the—
- 301-B, sedan.
Oh that's amazing.
- Four seats.
- Amazing!
- Four doors.
- May I?
- Left-hand drive.
The horn.
- The horn!
- Poor Grandpa, he never even got to see it.
- Have you seen the wipers? Electric.
- Pierre, take the flowers, they'll bother—
- Amazing.
- That'll drain the battery.
- But what about—?
- Oh, it's very easy.
Ignition, spark plugs—Starter.
- It roars, doesn't it!
And the handbrake.
Do you think it's getting enough fresh air?
- Oh yes.
The main thing is to avoid humidity.
- Maybe we should take the cover off.
- Oh no, I'm afraid of dust.
- Yet fresh air would do it good—
- You think so?
Are you afraid mould will get in?
Come on, give me a hand.
- Now I think about it, with the leftover
fabric from the seat covers,
maybe I'll do a little
matching corsage for me.
For travelling.
Ah, it's beautiful, really.
We chose well, didn't we?
- Oh yes.
- It's the colour, above all.
Pierre, come on!
Don't you think you should drive it around
a bit from time to time?
But you know we're in mourning.
- It's a black car.
- Yes, but you know how people are.
- People, people!
After all, they got their kids back.
Pierre!
When will you learn to leave the car alone?
Always something! Come on, come here!
Here.
Go to M Godeau's and get some beer.
That'll keep you busy.
- Come on, hurry up!
That's great.
Excuse me Monsieur, can I have some beer?
Hold this!
That's it, bye-bye my friends!
- Bye.
- Bye.
Damn!
A carp!
Here.
- Oh no, it's my round!
Can I have some?
- Put the bottle in the garage to chill.
- Can't I have some?
- Put the bottle in the garage to chill.
Don't you understand French?
- Mum, can I have some?
- Your father said no.
- Just a little?
- No!
That kid annoys me sometimes!
- Yes, when he gets an idea in his head!
- Dad!
Come and look, the car's bleeding!
The car's bleeding!
- Get my jacket.
It's oil.
It's probably coming from the engine.
I suppose it was too good to last.
I was sure it would catch something.
Do you want a blanket?
- Do you need help?
Is your wife better? Has she got over
her appendicitis operation?
Get us a drink.
- Yes.
Nothing?
- Beer or red wine?
- Both. Bring both.
- Would you like some beer?
- Give him some red wine.
Where is he?
So? It's serious?
- Your sump plug wasn't tight enough.
Hold this.
- Ah, it's the sump.
- Ah the sump.
- The boot.
- The boot?
The boot.
- Ah, at the back.
- What's the sump?
- It's in there.
It's the—
- Oh! Butterflies!
Well! So you never use your car?
- Rarely. First we had a mourning.
Then unforeseen circumstances—
- And the engine?
- The engine? Well, it's in there.
- Turn it on.
- Monsieur, it may not be my business,
but it's my duty to tell you—
A car is made to be driven.
If you don't drive it, it rusts.
One more year like this and the day
you pull it out of the garage,
the wheels will go one way,
the car body another, and you—
- Maybe we could go to your mother's
once in a while. Without the shortcut.
- I've told you what I think.
A car that hasn't done at least
5,000 kilometres is not a broken-in car.
- 5,000 kilometres?
Broken-in, broken-in, easy to say.
But where would we go?
We could visit the East.
The other side of the Vosges massif,
there's Alsace.
- Oh Alsace!
Henri told me that they still
grow strawberries there in Autumn.
- Even going through the Belfort pass,
it'll only be 500 kilometres.
No, what we need to really
break-in our automobile—
would be to cross the whole of France.
- What if we get lost?
- No danger of that,
we'll follow the waterways.
Of course we'll have to avoid the Loire
and the Garonne , two capricious rivers.
They can flood at the slightest storm.
What about going to the sea?
- You know we're in mourning.
- We wouldn't bathe.
- Of course, if we don't bathe.
But there is danger.
- Let's take Henri with us.
He's been there before.
He could guide us.
- Come in.
Mayor.
- Excuse me for disturbing you so late.
- You're not disturbing us.
- Good evening Madame.
You were preparing your class, weren't you?
- Yes Sir.
- May I?
- Yes of course.
- We should have met again
after that unfortunate business.
In the end, all the children were found,
that's the most important thing.
- Yes.
- Do you know Carmen?
- Carmen?
- Yes, Carmen, by Bizet.
- Ah, the opera?
- Yes.
We 're perform Carmen
at the town's main theatre on July 14th.
But alas, a disaster—
We forgot to cast all the kids.
You know, the new guard.
So, the Town Council and myself,
thought maybe the children
of the Primary School ...
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault,
One, two, marking the pace. ♪
♪ Shoulders back
And chest well out, ♪
♪ Arms this way
Straight down beside the body. ♪
♪ Here we come, here we are!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta. ♪
♪ Ta ta! ♪
And on stage, remember
to stand up straight. all right?
Just think! The whole town will be there.
Your parents, your neighbours, your friends.
Won't they, Mr. Roumagnac?
No finger up your nose that day!
Children, Carmen is a classic piece.
You will see a bubbling Spain
as Napoleon himself has—
Attention!
The day after tomorrow is
the day of the Primary School Certificate.
Any who fail won't be going on stage.
Understood?
Pay attention to the spelling.
Because I've known some pupils
who thought they were smart,
and then, because of spelling,
they failed their School Certificate.
Look, it's raining hard!
- The Inspector will get soaked.
Look, there he is, it's him!
Come in! Come in!
Oh, Inspector, you're all wet.
- You can say that again, Madame.
It's a huge disaster.
Hello.
- Come in Inspector, we'll fix it.
Excuse me Madame.
The storm started on the road to Jarville.
- You, go to class.
And watch your spelling!
Go, quickly, go quickly.
I didn't want to take my hat
but my wife made me take it.
The slightest rain on my head
and I inevitably catch a cold.
You're welcome.
Do you have anything to dry my hands with?
Thanks.
Don't burn it. My wife worries about it.
I wore it at our wedding.
Have they started?
- Yes, yours too?
Yes, it's the big day.
- Do you think it'll be ok?
- Maybe, you can't be sure what he
doesn't know about all these subjects.
The last to arrive, at the front!
The Inspector. Stand up!
- Good morning children.
Today is not a day like any other.
It's the day of your
Primary School Certificate.
Tomorrow you'll be men.
in freedom, equality, fraternity.
Arithmetic test!
Two trains—
Two trains—leave—
The first one from station A at 8:52am
The second one from station B—
from station B—at 9am
Knowing that the speed of the first train—
Well?
- Yes, it'll be OK.
Are you dreaming?
- I don't know how to do it with trains.
- Really?
And what do you know how to do it with?
- With automobiles.
- But cars aren't the only things on Earth!
There are also barges, bicycles, airships—
And trains, of course!
You can try to catch up
this afternoon. You'll need it!
- Do you think he can still pass?
- I don't know, with these railways—
Come in.
- I apologize. Can I look for something?
Ah good, it's for the drawing test.
Do you mind, Madame?
- Oh please do, Inspector.
- Good.
- At least he knows the lamp.
And now children, you're going
to show me your artistic talents.
Draw this lamp for me. Go ahead, go ahead.
Do you have good eyesight?
- Oh yes, sir.
Very odd—
So Mr. Bigeard, what about the essay?
- The essay is fine.
They were asked to write about a Thursday.
You're sitting there gaping.
What is your essay about?
- What I did on a Thursday?
- On a Thursday? Go on then, quick.
What's all that noise? Take this seriously!
Come on, hurry up, back to work!
I've a pupil with a real elephant's memory.
He knows his dates forwards and backwards.
- One of mine writes
his French essays in alexandrines.
My class doesn't have any phenomenons.
I'm giving you a zero for bad behaviour!
Results of the Primary School Certificate.
Sit down.
Here.
Have a bonbon.
Want another one?
Don't you understand?
The only one to fail the School Certificate
is the teacher's son.
And you want to show him off on a stage?
No, no and no!
What's more, Monsieur has to work.
No Carmen!
He can stay here!
And I'll set him problems about
trains passing one another.
I don't care, I won't do it.
I don't care, I won't do it.
You stamp your feet: one-two, one-two.
Louder Goslain. Come on, one more time.
♪ And the old guard
goes off home to barracks. ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta. ♪
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault,
One, two, marking the pace. ♪
♪ And the old guard
goes off home to barracks. ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet! ♪
—are saddened—
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault ,one, two— ♪
—to inform you of the death—
—of their son, Pierre!
♪ And the old guard
goes off home to barracks. ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta ♪
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault,
One, two, marking the pace. ♪
♪ And the old guard
goes off home to barracks. ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta ♪
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault,
One, two, marking the pace. ♪
♪ And the old guard—♪
So your first train arrives in Lyon at—? At—?
- At noon?
Of course not. It left Marseille at 11am,
it can't be in Lyon at noon.
What is its speed?
Read the data again!
83 kph.
- Well?
How many kilometres
is it from Marseille to Lyon?
- My friends don't do holiday homework!
- Your friends passed the School Certificate.
Oh my dear, what a tragedy.
Your Pierrot was so nice!
What a shame! Poor boy—
Poor Pierrot, what a disaster!
Truly the Good Lord is unjust.
- It was an essay that lost him.
- How awful at his age. Really the Good Lord
should not have done that!
And what an ordeal for you,
having just the one.
- My sainted aunt, what terrible news!
We came as soon as we heard.
But there was only the 6 o'clock train.
Poor Pierre, who would have believed that?
He worked so hard at school.
- It's nice of you to come, but you
shouldn't have put yourselves out.
- After all, he was advanced for his age.
- This is the best we could find.
- But—?
Are you in mourning?
The death announcement cards.
- Yes, yes, the announcement cards.
The death announcement cards...
- Whose death?
What's going on? Have you come to see us?
- Something strange is going on.
Everyone received death announcement cards.
- When I received this card, what a disaster.
- Henri, did you get a card too?
- Well yes, of course, I got a card.
What's the matter?
- But Pierre isn't dead.
- I don't understand, I had
a death announcement card.
- We don't understand either.
He's asking for it! Pierre! Pierre!
Oh there you are! Come inside!
This is unbelievable!
A child for whom we have done everything!
Everything!
Just last year, he had his tonsils out.
- So he wouldn't cough in the winter.
Well?
- You know, my dear,
you shouldn't play with these things.
Who wrote this? Who?
To bed! Straight to bed!
It's incredible!
How could he do this to us!
- Listen, we mustn't over-react.
At least he's alive.
- Well, he's lucky!
You see? All because we don't want
Monsieur to play the fool at the theatre!
So he sends this to the whole family!
If I'd done that to my father,
I'd be sent to military school. Fast!
He didn't have a camera.
So we get him a brand new camera.
He wanted to shoot a big elephant.
When he got it developed it was a cactus!
Come on, little soldier. get up!
I have to drink to your health! Here we go.
You're singing in Carmen.
Your father agrees.
What's all this?
- They're the Spanish kids.
But Madame, Carmen is not
their first communion!
- But the Mayor told us—
- I don't give a damn about the mayor Madame!
You have a costumes room?
Go and find some!
♪ On the square everyone passes,
everyone comes and goes ♪
♪ Funny sort of people these!
Funny sort of people these! ♪
♪ Funny sort of people these!
Funny sort of people these! ♪
I don't see our Pierrot.
- Shhh, he comes later.
♪ At the guard-house door, to kill time, ♪
♪ Whom are you looking for, pretty one? ♪
- What's she looking for?
♪ I'm looking for a corporal. ♪
She's looking for the corporal!
♪ That's me, look! ♪
♪ My corporal is called Don José ♪
♪ Do you know him? ♪
♪ Don José? We all know him. ♪
- Go and get dressed! Oops, sorry.
The moment we need you,
you disappear. Always the same!
Quick, give me something for him.
- Here.
- Right, wait—
Show me? No, that's too big.
Come on, come on, something for everyone!
♪ But in a few minutes he will be here ♪
♪ He'll be here when the new guard
Comes to relieve the old guard. ♪
♪ He'll be here when the new guard
Comes to relieve the old guard. ♪
♪ But while you wait for him to come
Will you, my pretty child, ♪
♪ Take the trouble
To step inside with us for a moment? ♪
Are they coming?
- One second.
- It's my pussy! Here puss!
My poor pussy. Poor little thing.
Silence, don't be so impatient.
Quiet! There'll be bad marks,
I'm warning you!
♪ Right beside the new guard,
here we come, here we are! ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta, ta ra ta ta! ♪
♪ We march with head up
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Keeping time with no mistakes
One, two - marking the pace. ♪
♪ Shoulders back
And chest well out, ♪
♪ Arms this way
Straight down beside the body. ♪
♪ Right beside the new guard,
here we come, here we are! ♪
♪ Blow out, loud trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta, ta ra ta ta! ♪
It doesn't make any sense!
Shit! I'm stopping everything.
♪ We march with head up
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Keeping time with no mistakes
One, two - keeping step. ♪
♪ Shoulders back
And chest well out, ♪
It's the gift.
- The gift?
♪ Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Keeping time with no mistakes
One, two - marking the pace ♪
How beautiful they are.
How beautiful they are!
♪ Arms this way
Straight down beside the body. ♪
Oh, that's amazing!
It is with exquisite joy that we come today
to express to you our feelings
of deepest gratitude
for the boundless dedication you have brought
to this crowning of all our toil.
Your little Jeannot speaks well.
In a relaxed manner you gave us
both general and practical science
which will now mark a big step forward
in our love of work and studies.
For all of us, you have
given yourself unstintingly—
- Did you see people's faces?
No, but have you seen them?
... in affection for the one ...
I'm leaving. I'm warning you now,
we'll never again play Carmen—
in towns of less than 400,000. Never!
... the father of our beloved country.
Gentlemen, gentlemen, please.
No, that's not possible.
How could you do this to us!
... And we shall think ete—ete—
Mayor, we'll do it for you. Continue!
etern—eterna—eter—eter—
e—tern—
♪ A pretty girl came asking for you. ♪
♪ Blue skirt and long plaited hai ♪
♪ That must be Micaëla. ♪
—e-ter-nal-ly.
of our primary school,
with our deepest thanks,
We wish you, our very dear master,
and you too, most venerated mistress,
long years of teaching,
in order to bring up
an endless number of new pupils
for our dear Fatherland.
Your Primary School Certificate pupils.
That's it.
Congratulations!
♪ It's in this big building
that the cigarette girls works, isn't it? ♪
♪ It is, Sir.
- Then this is a good time ♪
♪ You never saw
such a flighty lot of girls. ♪
♪ But they're pretty, at least? ♪
It's not finished!
It's not finished, ladies and gentlemen.
Wait, it's not finished!
You have to double-lock it.
Double-lock!
- Pierre, out you get!
Give the seat to your uncle.
SCHOOL
Pierre, tell me, which way is south?
- That way?
- Very good!
And if we go this way,
and if we drive for days and days,
we would arrive in Spain.
The country of this Mlle Carmen.
The beginning of whose story you saw
yesterday, at the theatre.
Tell me, Henri, have you ever been to Spain?
Do you know the South well?
- Oh perfectly!
After the war, my sergeant
got me a job at Félix Potin.
In Bordeaux. That's where I learned my job.
Tell Pierre about the South.
- Oh, it's beautiful. Wonderful!
I had a room on the 6th floor and I could
see the courtyard through the window
There were palm trees planted in barrels.
And believe it or not, they didn't even
bring them indoors in the winter.
- Tell me, have you seen the sea?
- Of course, just as I see you.
- What exactly is the sea?
- Water. Lots of water.
Billions of litres of water.
Huge! Huge!
If only it would start raining.
- I'll certainly remember the Île-de-France!
- Fine! I'll find some water for you!
You come with me!
Father, I beg your pardon.
Do you happen to have any water?
- Water? I have some, but—You see—
- That'll be fine. Henri! Come back!
- It's holy water. Lourdes water.
- Holy water?
- Yes, Lourdes water.
- I'm sorry, my wife and I are
part of secular education.
- Great, we've got some water!
- Be careful, it's holy water.
- So what?
- It's Lourdes water.
- It's still water!
Here, come on, start the engine.
- Pierre!
- Here we go, get in the car!
Thank you very much Father.
It worked! Thank you again Father.
Let's go!
Good grief! Holy water!
But you're doing a hundred!
- It's a miracle.
Oh no, no, listen!
It's not because some mineral waters
are endowed with particular properties
that this must be seen
as a supernatural intervention.
The sea!
- It's big!
- And feel this sand!
You can walk barefoot, in complete safety.
Wonderful!
Here is the famous phenomenon:
due to the combined action of sea the wind.
Pierre, these are dunes!
Repeat after me: Dunes.
Wait for me, I'm coming!
No, no, get in front, for the photo.
Are you coming for the photo?
Careful now, children. Don't touch anything.
- Are you coming?
- Here I am!
Here, stand next to your wife.
That's it, very good.
That's amazing!
- Here?
- Don't move.
Pay attention, it'll beep at 12.
When will it beep?
- At 12. It beeps at 12.
It'll beep at 12.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12—
- And—
THE END
English subtitles by
jeremys and Marseille
TNT 2022
THE OUTSKIRTS OF NANCY ...
... AROUND 1930
♪ Abreuve nos sillons! ♪
Come on, let's start again. One, two—
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Patrie!
Le jour de gloire est arrivé! ♪
♪ Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé ! ♪
Listen to yourselves, what are you singing!
Let's start again! Pay attention! One, two—
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Patrie!
Le jour de gloire... ♪
Stop, stop. You sing it for me.
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Partie! ♪
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Partie—! v
If only Rouget de Lisle could hear you!
So let's try it again. Pay attention!
♪ Allons! Enfants de la Patrie!
Le jour de gloire est arrivé! ♪
♪ Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé ! ♪
♪ L'étendard sanglant est levé !
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes ♪
♪ Mugir ces féroces soldats? ♪
Stand up, Merial!
La Marseillaise should be sung standing up!
♪ Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras,
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes. ♪
♪ Aux armes, citoyens! ♪
♪ Marchons, marchons!
Qu'un sang impur— ♪
♪ Abreuve nos sillons! ♪
Have you any water?
- Are you sure it's water Monsieur wants?
- Of course, water! And fresh water.
Get the vases from the back, you kids. Go!
Will this do the trick?
- Ah yes, but that won't be enough.
- Come on everyone, bring the vases. Come on.
There you are now.
- Is that all you've got?
- No, I still have the kindergarten class
and my wife's junior class.
- Good, bring them too.
Watch the vases!
Progress, children, is an admirable thing.
It demonstrates man's genius.
But beware:
Science without conscience—
—only destroys the soul.
- Very good.
Do you know what happened to Icarus?
But first, who actually was Icarus?
M Jean Royer?
- A coordinating conjunction, Sir?
- What?
- There are 7 coordinating conjunctions:
Or, mais, ou, donc, et, ni, car.
- You'll always be on the moon.
Aeroplanes didn't exist in Icarus' time—
did they, M Laprévote?
Icarus lived on an island
in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
- Silent e, M Goslain!
But one day he had the crazy idea—
—to fly away! F, l, y, M Borel!
Like a bird. So what did he do?
He stuck feathers on to his arms
with wax to make wings.
Then he flew away. He flew up.
He flew high into the sky.
Into the clouds, and higher, and higher.
Higher still, up to the Sun.
And what happened? The wax melted.
and he fell! Just like—?
- Like a lead balloon?
- Like a lead balloon!
Laprévote: 732?
- Charles Martel defeats
the Arabs at Poitiers.
- Tibez: 1805?
- Victory at Austerlitz.
- Joubert: 1415?
- Battle of Agincourt.
- Carais: 800?
- Charlemagne is crowned Emperor.
- Goslain: 1789?
- Storming of the Bastille.
- Very good.
And M Jean Royer: 1515?
No finger in the nose, Mr Roumagnac!
Don't breathe a word!
Don't breathe a word.
Anyone who does will get a bad mark.
1515?
One of the most beautiful
dates in our history.
No, Mr. Goslain!
- Battle of Marignan!
- Mr. Bigeard!
This is the third time
you've given an answer.
I warned you.
Too bad, I'm closing the window.
♪ Ahoy! Ahoy! ♪
♪ Ahoy, ahoy matey,
Matey sails the sea. ♪
♪ Ahoy, ahoy matey,
Matey sails the sea. ♪
Keep it up, children, I'll be right back.
Here, your bonbon.
♪ He undertook a long trip, ♪
♪ He undertook a long trip, ♪
Thank you Madame.
♪ On the Me-Me-Mediterranean Sea, ♪
♪ On the Me-Me-Mediterranean Sea, ♪
9 times 9, 81.
10 times 9, 90.
- All right, that's it for today.
It's time, go home.
Go on, do your essay. I'll be right back.
Well, old chap?
Hurry up, Pierre.
You keep dawdling, dawdling.
Pierre, I'm going to get angry!
Make an effort!
What's the topic?
- What career would you like to have and why.
- Good, so think about it.
Come on, Pierre. Your father'll be home soon
and you won't even have started.
- I'd like to be Pope.
- I'm warning you, Pierre,
you'll go to bed with no dinner!
- Pastry cook?
- Not bad.
But don't you think, with education,
you could do better?
- Engine-driver?
- Oh that's too dirty.
And they have accidents.
How about becoming a lawyer?
You'd have to wear a big black robe.
You'd defend the innocent.
Well? A lawyer?
- I don't know what to say about it.
- Fine. Choose the profession of teacher.
Pierre, I've had enough. It's the same every
Wednesday. You dozing over your notebooks.
What better job—Your finger!
than being a teacher.
Well, that's a good start.
And no spelling mistakes.
Come on, keep going.
Uncle Henri!
- Hello everyone! It's dark in here!
- Henri, you scare me to death
every time you come in!
- Good news! Herriot got the investiture.
How are you?
- I'm fine.
- How about you? Still stuck into your books?
You're going to kill the boy.
Come on, throw all of it out the window.
- But Henri, he has to work.
He'll end up bottom of the class.
He'll never get his School Certificate.
Ah, my poor sister, You think those with
diplomas reach the top of the social ladder.
Well you're very wrong!
Let me tell you,
what matters in life, my little boy,
it's to open your eye, the good one.
- Come on Henri, be serious.
And you've been on a spending spree!
- You don't look very well, what's wrong?
Where's your husband?
- I don't know.
- You don't know?
- He left.
- Where to?
- I don't know.
- You, come with me.
I'll see you in five minutes.
Has he been gone for long?
- A couple of hours.
After school. He took his hat and left.
- Did he have a case?
- No, not even his knitting.
He's been going out
every evening for a fortnight.
- Well then, he's just
gone for a drink, that's all.
- Really. A man who never drank.
- Stop. Dry your tears.
I'm going to the Brasserie des Vosges.
I bet you 100 sous I bring him back.
Come on, you, we're going for a walk.
- Henri! He hasn't done his French essay!
- He can finish it tomorrow, it's Thursday!
Now, is it true
your Dad's buying a wireless set?
- He doesn't want us to tell.
- Of course, but you can tell me.
- Can I?
He's already bought it!
- Really?
- We put it in the dining room.
In there you can't hear it from outside.
- Ah, you're lucky, you civil servants.
No need to worry about tomorrow.
To think, after the last war, if I'd stayed
in the Army, I could have retired by now.
Want some chewing gum?
- Thanks.
- Have you done any canning this year?
- Yes.
- Peas?
- Oh yes!
- A lot?
- Eighty bottles!
- Even with all that, teachers will come
complaining about being unhappy!
Always the same in France.
You have to be well off or a civil servant.
The rest, the small savers,
have to work until the end of their days.
After the last war,
they told us Subscribe!
Now how much are the Russian coupons worth?
And the state loan? What was that for?
To rearm Germany, quite simple!
Well now, what's all this?
- It's not bad
but you're afraid to go too fast.
Yes, I'm afraid of bends too.
- Are you insured?
- Yes, with the Teachers' Mutual.
- That's fine then. Good night, Teacher.
- Good night, see you tomorrow.
Oh no, not tomorrow.
I'm rehearsing Carmen with the band.
So the day after?
- All right! Good evening.
Hello, little man, having a good time?
You and Henri—What are you two doing here?
- Well, what about you?
- A friend offered to teach me to drive.
- What about the insurance?
- No, insurance is something else.
The insurance—
- Insurance is a joke.
And I thought you were
at the Brasserie des Vosges.
- Henri, don't mention
this to your sister. I'll explain.
It's a surprise, it's a Peugeot.
- A Peugeot?
301.
- The 301?
Well you see, your husband wasn't lost.
- You should have told me
you were helping the Mayor
write his speech for the Agricultural Show.
- Come on, cheers!
Let me know what you think of
this little mirabelle.
- It's good!
- It's two years old already, you know.
- Feels like it's taken on a flavour—
- A flavour?
- Yes, as if it had been shaken up.
As if it had been carried in an automobile.
A 301 for example.
in which the driver can't change gear.
- Henri, you spout rubbish and give
the kid an excuse not to work.
How far have you got?
Later, when I grow up—
And how is Germaine?
- Fine. Still has rheumatism in her shoulder.
- and the time to choose has—comme?
- With me, it's my back that hurts.
- Come! One m!
- You know, the day will come when
we won't have to struggle any more.
- for me, I would choose
the profession of teacher.
Ah if only I had gone back
into teaching after the last war!
- It's not always a bed of roses bringing up
other people's children, you know.
- All right, but you have your Thursdays off!
That's huge. You can have a garden.
- Oh Thursdays, yes,
let's talk about Thursdays.
When we have to stay in the classroom
every evening, sometimes until 10pm.
Correcting exercise books,
preparing the blackboard, science lessons.
- Oh what a beautiful profession
the teaching profession is!
Yes, you have the holidays
and some small perks.
- What could be more exciting—
- Free electricity.
- than to be part—
- And in some towns, you don't pay for water.
- of the awakening—
- You know, water costs a lot.
- of young minds.
- And what about retirement? Oh, retirement!
It doesn't matter, if I had my time
over again, I'd take your place!
- Then you'd be wrong.
Teaching kills its man.
The future now is the railways.
- Not at all! A teacher is privileged
compared to a railway worker!
Your hands are never filthy with coal!
And say what you like—
from time to time some parent bringing you
a dozen eggs, or a little rabbit?
- No, no.
- All things considered, there's nothing
better than being a teacher.
- Nothing worse, you mean.
So where have you got to now?
What? Eggs, little rabbits, little perks?
- Is the essay finished? The soup's ready.
- And your son: what are you going
to do with him? A teacher, I presume.
- I certainly hope not!
Look, he'll do what he wants to do.
If I were in his place, I'd choose pharmacy.
Go, the Loire's tributaries, quickly!
The source of the Loire is at
Mont Gerbier-de-Jonc,1370m.
It has on its left the Allier, the Cher—
- What are you chewing? Open your mouth.
Chewing gum! Please go and
spit that down the toilet right now.
See that? Keeping bad company!
Can I go out and play?
- Do you know your lesson?
- One cannot read the story of Joan of Arc's
death without experiencing deep emotion.
The English soldiers seized her brutally
and the executioner tied her to the stake.
Joan exclaimed—
- "Water, holy water".
You don't know it. Learn it.
- The others get to play on Thursdays.
- Take advantage, my dear son, of what
your parents are trying to teach you.
You'll thank us one day.
- Jeanne exclaimed "Water! holy water!"
The English soldier who
witnessed the execution exclaimed
"We are lost! We have burned a saint."
"We are lost! We have burned a saint."
"This sweet young peasant girl gave us
a perfect example of love of one's country!"
Is anyone here?
- Yes?
- Do you need help?
- No thanks.
Thank you, Sir.
- Pierre, what are you doing here?
Get back to work!
Move!
Are you sure the Inspector will come?
- Sure? No.
- So why did you ask us
to put on our Sunday best?
- There's a chance he'll come.
Do you know your list of words ending in ou
that take an x in the plural?
In case the Inspector questions you.
- Bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou—
- Pou! Repeat.
- Pou.
- No, repeat everything.
- Everything.
- No, from the beginning!
- Pou, genou, hibou, joujou—
- Pou.
- Pou.
May I introduce my wife,
teacher for the preparatory class.
This is M—I'm sorry, I don't know your name.
- Raoul! Everyone calls me
M Raoul at the garage.
- M Raoul is delivering our car.
I thought, for our 15th anniversary—
Anyway, there. I've bought a car.
What's the matter? What's wrong?
- It's not important. It's nothing.
- Pierre, Pierre, out you go for a second.
- Come come, Madame,
you mustn't get yourself into such a state.
- Listen to what Mr. Raoul is saying.
Pierre, get out for a sec.
- An automobile, after all,
is a joyful event.
- Get out!
Do you hear what Mr. Raoul is saying?
Come on, pull yourself together
and serve us something.
Tell me Monsieur, with a car like that,
do you think I could get—
in the same day—to Paris, for example?
- Paris?
Ah Monsieur, remember this car of ours
won the Monte-Carl Grand Prix last year.
- Monte-Carl?
Ah, Mr. Raoul probably means
Monte-Carlo, on the Côte d'Azur.
- Yes, of course. And without a compressor!
- Without a—?
- Com-press-or!
- Oh yes, yes.
Simply with a good production car.
Like yours.
What are you doing in there?
Come back upstairs, quickly!
Children!
- I know, I have six of them.
- Six?
- Yes Madame, six!
But rest assured I have the 301
family sedan with the two folding seats.
I could even have my mother-in-law on top.
- Pierre, say hello to this gentleman.
- Monsieur.
- The other hand!
- It doesn't matter, Madame.
They're both the same.
The automobile—
—will soon be within everyone's reach.
Sorry, sorry.
- Oh it doesn't matter, don't worry.
Did you have to go to high school?
- Me? No school!
Learned everything in my father's garage.
- No, I meant for singing.
- No need.
- Don't you think—schools—
can sometimes do some good?
If only for developing one's skills?
- Let me tell you.
When we have skills—
schools—
—are an obstacle rather than anything else.
Oh there! I must go!
- A last drink?
- No thanks.
I've already delivered two cars today.
Thank you.
Very interesting, that M Raoul.
- Oh yes, very!
- We should invite him on a Sunday
with his wife and children.
- That's a good idea.
The engines we manufacture
today are really great.
They do exactly what you want.
Better than pupils.
This is what we call the dipped headlights.
It's used in the country
when we meet a car coming towards us.
A doctor, an ambulance.
And this is the full headlights.
- Mum!
Well, look, her picture wasn't lost.
A moth struck by this powerful ray of light—
could lose control of itself and come up
against the front of the automobile.
And these are what we call driving lights.
Only used in cities with sufficient lighting,
such as Nancy.
Generally cities with
more than 100,000 inhabitants.
Pierre, the list?
- Nancy, Paris, Bordeaux—
- OK, that's good!
- You're crazy, you'll wake the neighbours.
- No!
- No! Traffic regulations authorize use of
the horn until 10pm in towns.
Since the time of the stagecoaches,
humanity has continued to make progress.
Is that all you wrote? Two lines?
When I drive around in a car, I'm very happy.
Well that's not much.
Think a little. Write down why you're happy.
Describe what's inside the car.
Imagine the landscapes you see,
the sensation of speed.
- I don't know how to explain it, Sir.
- I don't know how to explain it—
I don't know how to explain it, Sir.
Is that an answer?
Try to think, for goodness' sake!
It's an essay!
Let's see, what if I give you the topic:
"Tell me about a trip in an automobile".
And you sit like that.
The automobile!
The automobile, my dear children!
The internal combustion engine!
The great revolution
of our modern 20th century!
It doesn't—It doesn't mean anything to you,
does it? Doesn't it ring a bell?
All right, think about it. Imagine
that you are inside the car and it's moving.
Well, M Ruel,
you haven't written anything yet?
- I've never been in an automobile.
- And you?
- I've been in a car, Sir,
but it wasn't moving.
- What about you?
- I've only been on the back of a truck, Sir.
- And you?
- Once, I wanted to take the bus
into the city, Sir, but it didn't stop.
- Well!
Tell me, has any of you ever
been in an aautomobile?
All right, get your stuff. Your slate,
a pencil and your cape.
No, no, you stay here! You already know.
Take the opportunity to learn your geography.
Come on!
Take off your berets.
Gentlemen, this monument
commemorates the sacrifice
of those who gave
their lives for the Fatherland.
Dates of the Great War?
- 1914-1918.
- Very good. As you can see, sometimes
a flame is left to remember them.
It's also called "the flame of memory".
In their memory,
we will observe a minute's silence.
But beware.
A minute is a minute and silence is silence!
Isn't that so, M Carais?
Take off your berets. I'll count to three.
Pay attention: one, two, three.
What's going on?
Never seen a manhole before?
And you? Want my picture?
Oh I see. Well, me too.
I made it through 14-18.
So what?
They're really too young
to be taught all about that.
- Put your berets back on, it's done!
Monsieur, let me explain.
All right, let's carry on, children.
What do we call that man you can see?
- A gardener?
- No, not a gardener.
- A worker?
- A worker, very good.
But what kind of worker?
- A wild worker?
- No marks, M Claudon!
- This man is called a lum-ber-jack.
Repeat after me.
A lum-ber-jack.
- Recite "the lumberjack".
Ah, what a beautiful profession,
the profession of a lumberjack.
- Ruffians! Instead of going to school you
try to poison one of the workers!
- Hey! Are you a saboteur?
- It's because of those hooligans!
Oh, Carais, really!
Are you a man or what? Come on! Cross
like a man. That's it, big boy, that's it.
There you are.
Good! Come on, come on.
Boys, admire the extraordinary
calorific power of the sun.
I can say without fear of contradiction that
a single ray could replace a hundred irons.
Who sneezed?
A bonbon for whoever just sneezed.
Very well, put your socks back on.
The co-coon!
- Good.
And what is inside the cocoon?
- The chry-sa-lis
- Very good!
And what will become of the chrysalis?
Well? Come on.
Well? What will happen to the chrysalis?
It's going to become a—a—?
A—A—?
Well M Goslain, am I boring you?
To your place, quickly! Please hurry up!
Children, we're now going
to collect cocoons to study in class.
One at a time. Gently.
We'll put them in the boot of the automobile.
Come on, come on.
Take turns, quick! Hurry up, hurry up!
Thank you Laprévote.
Come on, hurry. That's good.
Right then. Midon?
- Here.
- Simonet?
- Here.
- Sorel?
- Here.
- Taverniard?
- Here.
- Veinart?
- Here.
- Gibert Christian?
- Here.
- Gibert Louis?
- Here.
Well everyone's here except Carais.
Carais! Carais!
Carais!
Car—
- Here!
- Into the line!
Children, children, listen to me.
This is where your French composition starts.
Obviously I can't take
you all in the car at once.
So you will go in fours.
Each in your turn. Understood?
Right then, first four, with me.
You others wait for me.
Be quiet. Come on, Tibez.
Are your hands clean?
Good yes. That's okay. Laprévote?
We'll talk about your nails later!
All right, that's enough, three at the back.
You get in front with me, Goslain. Go on.
Wait quietly, now!
And you, Tibez, what would you say?
- I don't know Sir. It's beautiful?
- Yes it's beautiful.
Anything else?
- It's definitely big.
- Is that all you can think of?
The rumble of the engine, there,
purring like a submissive beast, yes?
And you, Laprévote, what would you say?
- Me, Sir? I would say that when I grow up,
I'll be unemployed.
I'll buy a car and
drive around in it all the time.
- Unemployed—
You've already forgotten
Tuesday's lesson about work.
Does anyone remember it?
- Me, sir.
What do you do when you see an old man
walking painfully at the side of the road—
bent under a heavy burden?
- Do we say hello to him?
- We carry his basket to the top of the hill
and wait for him to get there?
- No marks! The morals composition for
School Certificate is going to be great!
When we meet a man bent—B E N T, M Roumagnac—
under a heavy load,
we invite him aboard.
Get in, my dear fellow!
- Eh?
- Get in! Get in!
It must be painful to carry such a burden
under the bright sun.
Come on. You, come here.
- It's heavy!
- This way, no problem.
- There are a lot of you in the car.
So these kids don't go to school?
- They actually do, Monsieur.
- Are they all yours?
- In a way, yes.
Well all credit to your wife!
I had two, but I won't be doing it again.
A drop of red wine?
- Oh no, no. Never while driving.
- And you, little man, to help you grow?
- No, not the children, no.
They only drink milk.
- You'll never make soldiers of them!
How can we relax in these cars?
We shouldn't have legs! Plus it's noisy!
It smells of petrol.
- Isn't that your pig?
- My pig doesn't smell of petrol!
- No, maybe it smells like a pig.
- But I've just told you
there's a smell of petrol!
It's the first time I've been in one,
and it's definitely the last.
Damn, how uncomfortable we are!
- Watch the countryside.
The countryside? Well yes, a pretty view!
Now they've put poles everywhere.
- Right then, here you are
at the top of the hill.
- You're not going to leave me here?
I live nearby.
- Yes, but they're waiting for us.
- So's my wife, for me!
I'll drop you here, then.
- Would you like a little drink?
- No, no thank you. Very nice of you.
- What d'you mean No?
You're not leaving just like that?
- No, but it's getting late.
- One drink and then you can go.
- No, no, thanks, really,
they're waiting for us.
- Look, I'm not getting out of your car
unless you come.
- Well then, one little drink
and we go right after.
Get out, you boys. Hurry up, get out, boys.
Stay there, boys.
And don't touch anything!
- Well?
- Yes, I'm coming. Sit down.
Well? Are you coming?
You're crazy!
Come on, faster!
My idea? Just that you're
giving yourself trouble for nothing.
Mum!
Goodbye.
- Goodbye.
But—where's the car—Where's the car?
Answer me! Where's the car?
- Sir, we haven't seen it.
- I'm warning you, there'll be bad marks!
Where's the car? Tibez, answer me.
Where is the car?!
- I don't know Sir. We didn't mean to do it,
it just started by itself.
- Started by itself? Where is it?
Where did it go? Where?
Hey, you! Look at this!
You do strange things with your machine!
It looks like a building site!
What a mess! What if I came to
your place and did something like this!
Look at it! Don't you have a garage?
Why not go back through the dining-room
while you're at it!
Or maybe the bedroom.
There's still a chance Grandma hasn't—
Four hours! What are they doing?
- Dammit, we'll never all get a turn.
- Man, we're in trouble because of his car.
- Here they are! Here they are!
Damn! They didn't even stop for us!
- Run! We'll catch them!
What do these dirty kids want with me?
Come on men, we'll take the shortcuts!
As if I'd nothing better to do!
The next car to run into my barn
I'll shoot it in the wheels!
- Help me! Listen. Help me instead of—
- Come on.
No, over there, over there.
And on the other side.
- I can't even shift it!
- No no. Don't grab it by the handle.
Come on, they're over there.
We're lost!
Come on guys!
We're lost! We're lost! We're lost!
We're lost!
Five.
Is your older son back?
- No, Mayor.
All right, go and register there.
5, 6, 7, 8, 9—
Your Michel is missing, right?
- Yes, Mayor.
10, 11, 12, 13—
Two from your house?
- Yes, Mayor.
And no one's come back to your house either?
- No, Mayor.
14, 15, 16—
And Madame Ruel?
Your Jean hasn't come home either?
- No Mayor. Neither has my Jeannot,
nor my Louis, nor my François.
I only have this one left.
17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22—
23 missing!
Where can they be?
- I don't know, Mayor, I'm the same as you.
- Surely we'll find them!
- Here are a few already.
- I found these boys
in the woods at Petit-Mont.
- What about the others?
- Probably quite a few around Vezouze.
I heard crying as I crossed the bridge.
- Go on, hurry up!
Call out the firemen! Everyone! Come on!
Teacher, what were you thinking?
Managing to lose an entire class in one go!
- Listen—
- Except your own, of course!
- No, this—
- You realise the gravity of the situation?
- Yes of course I do—
- No, please, no excuses!
The Municipal Council will advise.
What will people think of us?
What confidence can they have in our leaders?
Well—Grandpa's dead.
- Oh poor Dad. Oh that's too awful.
- Poor Henri. My love.
Go on, let it out my dear, have a good cry.
All right, I'll dictate.
Announcement.
Widow Humbert, the Martel
and Sunnet—e, t—families, comma—
—are saddened to have to inform you
of the death—
—of Mr. Felix Humbert—at the age of 82.
The funeral—Tibez!
Blots, always blots!
Funeral—e r a l—
Oh no, that's not good.
Zero!
Last year, for Mr. Bournik's funeral,
you managed to ruin three cards.
Come on, do it again.
The funeral—r a l—
will take place—on May 12—
in the strictest—
privacy.
Take your stuff and go home.
The religious service
will be celebrated in the church of—
Saint-Martin in Bayon.
21, 22, 23 and 24.
Thery'e all here.
There may be some
that have a few crossing-outs.
- That doesn't matter.
- Anyway, no spelling mistakes.
If we post them now they'll arrive on time.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome, it's the least I can do.
- What train will you take?
- I thought we might take the car.
In a bereavement, people cannot say anything.
- Ah so it's been delivered?
- Of course.
- Splendid.
Poor Grandpa, it's so sad.
He died too soon.
- Such an upright man.
Such a patriot.
- Watch out, you'll crumple
my seat covers, Pierre.
- Did you see that?
I passed him without any effort.
- Dad, there's another one! Pass him!
- No, no! We're not in a race.
- At last I'm happy with my seat covers.
And I can boil the fabric, it's colourfast.
Oh what a donkey!
Who does he think he is!
- Watch out, watch out!
- Don't be afraid, it's a modern car.
Poor Grandpa.
- Well done!
It's going fast, though!
- And it's not done yet!
We'll take the shortcut, you'll see.
You'll see how these cars can go everywhere.
He's crazy!
Well? What did I tell you?
A tank wouldn't do any better.
OK, come on.
It's a normal phenomenon.
The wheel doesn't grip on the wet clay.
Starting slowly, I think it'll be fine.
They might maintain the roads!
Oh dear, it's so distressing!
Poor France!
- Poor Grandpa.
The first bell for mass!
- That's a shame, we were almost there.
Another 50 metres and it downhill again.
Come on, get out.
I'll start and you push when I tell you.
Not there, not there! From behind!
No, no, not on the glass.
You'll end up going straight through!
Here, against the boot. Watch out!
Come on, push!
Come on, push! Push!
- You're not pushing?
- But we were pushing!
- All right, I'll find someone else.
- You wanted this car!
My seat covers will be just lovely now!
Monsieur!
The mass is starting now.
And we're still stuck here.
- You and your machine!
You're lucky it's for a funeral!
- This is my wife, preparatory class teacher.
This is Mr—
I don't know your name.
- Delametrot.
My sincere condolences.
They're so dirty!
- Is that mud?
Did you see inside the car?
Thank you Mrs Ringart.
- Thank you Mrs Ringart.
Little ruffian!
Lucky you're not in my class!
Hey, come back here and take your—!
I've never seen that before!
- It's the—
- 301-B, sedan.
Oh that's amazing.
- Four seats.
- Amazing!
- Four doors.
- May I?
- Left-hand drive.
The horn.
- The horn!
- Poor Grandpa, he never even got to see it.
- Have you seen the wipers? Electric.
- Pierre, take the flowers, they'll bother—
- Amazing.
- That'll drain the battery.
- But what about—?
- Oh, it's very easy.
Ignition, spark plugs—Starter.
- It roars, doesn't it!
And the handbrake.
Do you think it's getting enough fresh air?
- Oh yes.
The main thing is to avoid humidity.
- Maybe we should take the cover off.
- Oh no, I'm afraid of dust.
- Yet fresh air would do it good—
- You think so?
Are you afraid mould will get in?
Come on, give me a hand.
- Now I think about it, with the leftover
fabric from the seat covers,
maybe I'll do a little
matching corsage for me.
For travelling.
Ah, it's beautiful, really.
We chose well, didn't we?
- Oh yes.
- It's the colour, above all.
Pierre, come on!
Don't you think you should drive it around
a bit from time to time?
But you know we're in mourning.
- It's a black car.
- Yes, but you know how people are.
- People, people!
After all, they got their kids back.
Pierre!
When will you learn to leave the car alone?
Always something! Come on, come here!
Here.
Go to M Godeau's and get some beer.
That'll keep you busy.
- Come on, hurry up!
That's great.
Excuse me Monsieur, can I have some beer?
Hold this!
That's it, bye-bye my friends!
- Bye.
- Bye.
Damn!
A carp!
Here.
- Oh no, it's my round!
Can I have some?
- Put the bottle in the garage to chill.
- Can't I have some?
- Put the bottle in the garage to chill.
Don't you understand French?
- Mum, can I have some?
- Your father said no.
- Just a little?
- No!
That kid annoys me sometimes!
- Yes, when he gets an idea in his head!
- Dad!
Come and look, the car's bleeding!
The car's bleeding!
- Get my jacket.
It's oil.
It's probably coming from the engine.
I suppose it was too good to last.
I was sure it would catch something.
Do you want a blanket?
- Do you need help?
Is your wife better? Has she got over
her appendicitis operation?
Get us a drink.
- Yes.
Nothing?
- Beer or red wine?
- Both. Bring both.
- Would you like some beer?
- Give him some red wine.
Where is he?
So? It's serious?
- Your sump plug wasn't tight enough.
Hold this.
- Ah, it's the sump.
- Ah the sump.
- The boot.
- The boot?
The boot.
- Ah, at the back.
- What's the sump?
- It's in there.
It's the—
- Oh! Butterflies!
Well! So you never use your car?
- Rarely. First we had a mourning.
Then unforeseen circumstances—
- And the engine?
- The engine? Well, it's in there.
- Turn it on.
- Monsieur, it may not be my business,
but it's my duty to tell you—
A car is made to be driven.
If you don't drive it, it rusts.
One more year like this and the day
you pull it out of the garage,
the wheels will go one way,
the car body another, and you—
- Maybe we could go to your mother's
once in a while. Without the shortcut.
- I've told you what I think.
A car that hasn't done at least
5,000 kilometres is not a broken-in car.
- 5,000 kilometres?
Broken-in, broken-in, easy to say.
But where would we go?
We could visit the East.
The other side of the Vosges massif,
there's Alsace.
- Oh Alsace!
Henri told me that they still
grow strawberries there in Autumn.
- Even going through the Belfort pass,
it'll only be 500 kilometres.
No, what we need to really
break-in our automobile—
would be to cross the whole of France.
- What if we get lost?
- No danger of that,
we'll follow the waterways.
Of course we'll have to avoid the Loire
and the Garonne , two capricious rivers.
They can flood at the slightest storm.
What about going to the sea?
- You know we're in mourning.
- We wouldn't bathe.
- Of course, if we don't bathe.
But there is danger.
- Let's take Henri with us.
He's been there before.
He could guide us.
- Come in.
Mayor.
- Excuse me for disturbing you so late.
- You're not disturbing us.
- Good evening Madame.
You were preparing your class, weren't you?
- Yes Sir.
- May I?
- Yes of course.
- We should have met again
after that unfortunate business.
In the end, all the children were found,
that's the most important thing.
- Yes.
- Do you know Carmen?
- Carmen?
- Yes, Carmen, by Bizet.
- Ah, the opera?
- Yes.
We 're perform Carmen
at the town's main theatre on July 14th.
But alas, a disaster—
We forgot to cast all the kids.
You know, the new guard.
So, the Town Council and myself,
thought maybe the children
of the Primary School ...
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault,
One, two, marking the pace. ♪
♪ Shoulders back
And chest well out, ♪
♪ Arms this way
Straight down beside the body. ♪
♪ Here we come, here we are!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta. ♪
♪ Ta ta! ♪
And on stage, remember
to stand up straight. all right?
Just think! The whole town will be there.
Your parents, your neighbours, your friends.
Won't they, Mr. Roumagnac?
No finger up your nose that day!
Children, Carmen is a classic piece.
You will see a bubbling Spain
as Napoleon himself has—
Attention!
The day after tomorrow is
the day of the Primary School Certificate.
Any who fail won't be going on stage.
Understood?
Pay attention to the spelling.
Because I've known some pupils
who thought they were smart,
and then, because of spelling,
they failed their School Certificate.
Look, it's raining hard!
- The Inspector will get soaked.
Look, there he is, it's him!
Come in! Come in!
Oh, Inspector, you're all wet.
- You can say that again, Madame.
It's a huge disaster.
Hello.
- Come in Inspector, we'll fix it.
Excuse me Madame.
The storm started on the road to Jarville.
- You, go to class.
And watch your spelling!
Go, quickly, go quickly.
I didn't want to take my hat
but my wife made me take it.
The slightest rain on my head
and I inevitably catch a cold.
You're welcome.
Do you have anything to dry my hands with?
Thanks.
Don't burn it. My wife worries about it.
I wore it at our wedding.
Have they started?
- Yes, yours too?
Yes, it's the big day.
- Do you think it'll be ok?
- Maybe, you can't be sure what he
doesn't know about all these subjects.
The last to arrive, at the front!
The Inspector. Stand up!
- Good morning children.
Today is not a day like any other.
It's the day of your
Primary School Certificate.
Tomorrow you'll be men.
in freedom, equality, fraternity.
Arithmetic test!
Two trains—
Two trains—leave—
The first one from station A at 8:52am
The second one from station B—
from station B—at 9am
Knowing that the speed of the first train—
Well?
- Yes, it'll be OK.
Are you dreaming?
- I don't know how to do it with trains.
- Really?
And what do you know how to do it with?
- With automobiles.
- But cars aren't the only things on Earth!
There are also barges, bicycles, airships—
And trains, of course!
You can try to catch up
this afternoon. You'll need it!
- Do you think he can still pass?
- I don't know, with these railways—
Come in.
- I apologize. Can I look for something?
Ah good, it's for the drawing test.
Do you mind, Madame?
- Oh please do, Inspector.
- Good.
- At least he knows the lamp.
And now children, you're going
to show me your artistic talents.
Draw this lamp for me. Go ahead, go ahead.
Do you have good eyesight?
- Oh yes, sir.
Very odd—
So Mr. Bigeard, what about the essay?
- The essay is fine.
They were asked to write about a Thursday.
You're sitting there gaping.
What is your essay about?
- What I did on a Thursday?
- On a Thursday? Go on then, quick.
What's all that noise? Take this seriously!
Come on, hurry up, back to work!
I've a pupil with a real elephant's memory.
He knows his dates forwards and backwards.
- One of mine writes
his French essays in alexandrines.
My class doesn't have any phenomenons.
I'm giving you a zero for bad behaviour!
Results of the Primary School Certificate.
Sit down.
Here.
Have a bonbon.
Want another one?
Don't you understand?
The only one to fail the School Certificate
is the teacher's son.
And you want to show him off on a stage?
No, no and no!
What's more, Monsieur has to work.
No Carmen!
He can stay here!
And I'll set him problems about
trains passing one another.
I don't care, I won't do it.
I don't care, I won't do it.
You stamp your feet: one-two, one-two.
Louder Goslain. Come on, one more time.
♪ And the old guard
goes off home to barracks. ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta. ♪
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault,
One, two, marking the pace. ♪
♪ And the old guard
goes off home to barracks. ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet! ♪
—are saddened—
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault ,one, two— ♪
—to inform you of the death—
—of their son, Pierre!
♪ And the old guard
goes off home to barracks. ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta ♪
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault,
One, two, marking the pace. ♪
♪ And the old guard
goes off home to barracks. ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta ♪
♪ We walk with our heads up,
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Marking without fault,
One, two, marking the pace. ♪
♪ And the old guard—♪
So your first train arrives in Lyon at—? At—?
- At noon?
Of course not. It left Marseille at 11am,
it can't be in Lyon at noon.
What is its speed?
Read the data again!
83 kph.
- Well?
How many kilometres
is it from Marseille to Lyon?
- My friends don't do holiday homework!
- Your friends passed the School Certificate.
Oh my dear, what a tragedy.
Your Pierrot was so nice!
What a shame! Poor boy—
Poor Pierrot, what a disaster!
Truly the Good Lord is unjust.
- It was an essay that lost him.
- How awful at his age. Really the Good Lord
should not have done that!
And what an ordeal for you,
having just the one.
- My sainted aunt, what terrible news!
We came as soon as we heard.
But there was only the 6 o'clock train.
Poor Pierre, who would have believed that?
He worked so hard at school.
- It's nice of you to come, but you
shouldn't have put yourselves out.
- After all, he was advanced for his age.
- This is the best we could find.
- But—?
Are you in mourning?
The death announcement cards.
- Yes, yes, the announcement cards.
The death announcement cards...
- Whose death?
What's going on? Have you come to see us?
- Something strange is going on.
Everyone received death announcement cards.
- When I received this card, what a disaster.
- Henri, did you get a card too?
- Well yes, of course, I got a card.
What's the matter?
- But Pierre isn't dead.
- I don't understand, I had
a death announcement card.
- We don't understand either.
He's asking for it! Pierre! Pierre!
Oh there you are! Come inside!
This is unbelievable!
A child for whom we have done everything!
Everything!
Just last year, he had his tonsils out.
- So he wouldn't cough in the winter.
Well?
- You know, my dear,
you shouldn't play with these things.
Who wrote this? Who?
To bed! Straight to bed!
It's incredible!
How could he do this to us!
- Listen, we mustn't over-react.
At least he's alive.
- Well, he's lucky!
You see? All because we don't want
Monsieur to play the fool at the theatre!
So he sends this to the whole family!
If I'd done that to my father,
I'd be sent to military school. Fast!
He didn't have a camera.
So we get him a brand new camera.
He wanted to shoot a big elephant.
When he got it developed it was a cactus!
Come on, little soldier. get up!
I have to drink to your health! Here we go.
You're singing in Carmen.
Your father agrees.
What's all this?
- They're the Spanish kids.
But Madame, Carmen is not
their first communion!
- But the Mayor told us—
- I don't give a damn about the mayor Madame!
You have a costumes room?
Go and find some!
♪ On the square everyone passes,
everyone comes and goes ♪
♪ Funny sort of people these!
Funny sort of people these! ♪
♪ Funny sort of people these!
Funny sort of people these! ♪
I don't see our Pierrot.
- Shhh, he comes later.
♪ At the guard-house door, to kill time, ♪
♪ Whom are you looking for, pretty one? ♪
- What's she looking for?
♪ I'm looking for a corporal. ♪
She's looking for the corporal!
♪ That's me, look! ♪
♪ My corporal is called Don José ♪
♪ Do you know him? ♪
♪ Don José? We all know him. ♪
- Go and get dressed! Oops, sorry.
The moment we need you,
you disappear. Always the same!
Quick, give me something for him.
- Here.
- Right, wait—
Show me? No, that's too big.
Come on, come on, something for everyone!
♪ But in a few minutes he will be here ♪
♪ He'll be here when the new guard
Comes to relieve the old guard. ♪
♪ He'll be here when the new guard
Comes to relieve the old guard. ♪
♪ But while you wait for him to come
Will you, my pretty child, ♪
♪ Take the trouble
To step inside with us for a moment? ♪
Are they coming?
- One second.
- It's my pussy! Here puss!
My poor pussy. Poor little thing.
Silence, don't be so impatient.
Quiet! There'll be bad marks,
I'm warning you!
♪ Right beside the new guard,
here we come, here we are! ♪
♪ Sound, dazzling trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta, ta ra ta ta! ♪
♪ We march with head up
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Keeping time with no mistakes
One, two - marking the pace. ♪
♪ Shoulders back
And chest well out, ♪
♪ Arms this way
Straight down beside the body. ♪
♪ Right beside the new guard,
here we come, here we are! ♪
♪ Blow out, loud trumpet!
Ta ra ta ta, ta ra ta ta! ♪
It doesn't make any sense!
Shit! I'm stopping everything.
♪ We march with head up
Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Keeping time with no mistakes
One, two - keeping step. ♪
♪ Shoulders back
And chest well out, ♪
It's the gift.
- The gift?
♪ Like little soldiers, ♪
♪ Keeping time with no mistakes
One, two - marking the pace ♪
How beautiful they are.
How beautiful they are!
♪ Arms this way
Straight down beside the body. ♪
Oh, that's amazing!
It is with exquisite joy that we come today
to express to you our feelings
of deepest gratitude
for the boundless dedication you have brought
to this crowning of all our toil.
Your little Jeannot speaks well.
In a relaxed manner you gave us
both general and practical science
which will now mark a big step forward
in our love of work and studies.
For all of us, you have
given yourself unstintingly—
- Did you see people's faces?
No, but have you seen them?
... in affection for the one ...
I'm leaving. I'm warning you now,
we'll never again play Carmen—
in towns of less than 400,000. Never!
... the father of our beloved country.
Gentlemen, gentlemen, please.
No, that's not possible.
How could you do this to us!
... And we shall think ete—ete—
Mayor, we'll do it for you. Continue!
etern—eterna—eter—eter—
e—tern—
♪ A pretty girl came asking for you. ♪
♪ Blue skirt and long plaited hai ♪
♪ That must be Micaëla. ♪
—e-ter-nal-ly.
of our primary school,
with our deepest thanks,
We wish you, our very dear master,
and you too, most venerated mistress,
long years of teaching,
in order to bring up
an endless number of new pupils
for our dear Fatherland.
Your Primary School Certificate pupils.
That's it.
Congratulations!
♪ It's in this big building
that the cigarette girls works, isn't it? ♪
♪ It is, Sir.
- Then this is a good time ♪
♪ You never saw
such a flighty lot of girls. ♪
♪ But they're pretty, at least? ♪
It's not finished!
It's not finished, ladies and gentlemen.
Wait, it's not finished!
You have to double-lock it.
Double-lock!
- Pierre, out you get!
Give the seat to your uncle.
SCHOOL
Pierre, tell me, which way is south?
- That way?
- Very good!
And if we go this way,
and if we drive for days and days,
we would arrive in Spain.
The country of this Mlle Carmen.
The beginning of whose story you saw
yesterday, at the theatre.
Tell me, Henri, have you ever been to Spain?
Do you know the South well?
- Oh perfectly!
After the war, my sergeant
got me a job at Félix Potin.
In Bordeaux. That's where I learned my job.
Tell Pierre about the South.
- Oh, it's beautiful. Wonderful!
I had a room on the 6th floor and I could
see the courtyard through the window
There were palm trees planted in barrels.
And believe it or not, they didn't even
bring them indoors in the winter.
- Tell me, have you seen the sea?
- Of course, just as I see you.
- What exactly is the sea?
- Water. Lots of water.
Billions of litres of water.
Huge! Huge!
If only it would start raining.
- I'll certainly remember the Île-de-France!
- Fine! I'll find some water for you!
You come with me!
Father, I beg your pardon.
Do you happen to have any water?
- Water? I have some, but—You see—
- That'll be fine. Henri! Come back!
- It's holy water. Lourdes water.
- Holy water?
- Yes, Lourdes water.
- I'm sorry, my wife and I are
part of secular education.
- Great, we've got some water!
- Be careful, it's holy water.
- So what?
- It's Lourdes water.
- It's still water!
Here, come on, start the engine.
- Pierre!
- Here we go, get in the car!
Thank you very much Father.
It worked! Thank you again Father.
Let's go!
Good grief! Holy water!
But you're doing a hundred!
- It's a miracle.
Oh no, no, listen!
It's not because some mineral waters
are endowed with particular properties
that this must be seen
as a supernatural intervention.
The sea!
- It's big!
- And feel this sand!
You can walk barefoot, in complete safety.
Wonderful!
Here is the famous phenomenon:
due to the combined action of sea the wind.
Pierre, these are dunes!
Repeat after me: Dunes.
Wait for me, I'm coming!
No, no, get in front, for the photo.
Are you coming for the photo?
Careful now, children. Don't touch anything.
- Are you coming?
- Here I am!
Here, stand next to your wife.
That's it, very good.
That's amazing!
- Here?
- Don't move.
Pay attention, it'll beep at 12.
When will it beep?
- At 12. It beeps at 12.
It'll beep at 12.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12—
- And—
THE END
English subtitles by
jeremys and Marseille
TNT 2022