Le chantier des gosses (1970) - full transcript

The Children's Building Site

with the inhabitants
of the Marolles

and pupils
from schools n°6 and n°9

and with land surveyor
Derom and his team

Camera

Dialogues

Music

A film by

Tomorrow we're going
to the shack

with all our friends.

Are you in?
We'll have a good time.



There'll be a whole lot of us.

Look, there's Jef's girl.

Let's pester her.

A good way
to pass the time.

Look, she's picking petals.

You want to know
if he loves you?

Ask him. You'll know for sure.

She wouldn't dare.

Yeah, that's true.
- You're stupid!

Here you go!

Leave me alone, you idiot.

Hey you there!

Get out of the way.

Still there?



What are you doing?
Leave us alone!

Look what I'm doing.

He'll break it!

Them again.

I'm fed up with them.

Leave me alone, you bully.

Go away!

Be careful with our marbles.

What's with him?
He's crazy!

Are you still around?

Beat it!

You'll see
when my big brother is here.

Time to leave.

He's furious.

Who cares, let's go back.

Boo! Beanpole!

What a pain in the neck.

Who does he think he is?

What a fuss!

He sure needs
a lot of space for his scope.

Now we've lost
our playground...

... what are we going to do?

We can't stay home all day.

We could play
with the sacristan's chicken.

To pester the old one?
Good idea!

Imagine,
the sacristan has a chick.

Brats.

Be careful.

That's a good one.

They're still around?

Jesus Christ, the scoundrels.

I'm going to the police.

Would be great
to find one now.

A perfect joke.

We'll laugh our heads off.

There!

Got it!

Tie the rope.

I'll do it.

I won't let it go.

It could scratch you.

Don't strangle it.

Wait, I'll help you.

It's okay now.

Get set!

What is a war nowadays?

With all these machines...

... it's a child's game.

It was very different before.

Nowadays it
doesn't amount to anything.

Is this all you can tell?

Make your coffee.

They drop you
on the right spot.

But we,
whether we wanted to or not...

... had to get there...

... by bicycle.

The bicycle-soldiers...

... that was a real army.

We were drilled...

... believe me.

We were no softies.

Up early in the morning,

stripped to the waist
exercising in the snow.

You and your
constant war stories.

We were the toughest.

We've lost our playground.

How awful.

We hadn't done anything.

Thrown out.

Our cart broken.

We should nail the door

so they can't
come in any more.

And flatten their ties.

That's not enough.

We have to get organised.

To set up a plan of attack.

Lead them into a trap.

An eye for an eye.

We'll chase them.

Someone's got a lighter?

It's a matter of tactics.

During the war

my father would
trap the enemy

just like rabbits

because he was
smarter than them.

The other day
my father told me...

Who's got a lighter?

... to make slingshots...

... with the best
rubber bands we find.

And when we're well trained...

... we attack!

Rubber bands like that!

A smashing slingshot!

Aimed at their arses.

They'll learn their lesson well.

They'll be sorry.

Terrific!

Look, I've got a stick for you.

What a beautiful stick.

Look what I got
from my brother.

He's a great chap.

What a rubber band.

For sure we'll beat them.

Golly, this is difficult.

This one launches cobbles.

I think it will be a hard fight.

Soon we'll be
in top condition.

Some well aimed stones...

... and the job is done.

Isn't it, boys?

One, two, one, two...

Come on Freddy.

Keep the spirit.

One, two, one, two...

Okay,

we know you're the leader.

Stop annoying us.

My turn.

Got it.

Be careful!

I count and you shoot.

Missed.

Argh, the window.

Again.

Aim better.

Put them back.
- Already?

Ready to attack?

Things will get pretty hot.

It'll be a tough one.

This is our plan.

I'm in the front line
behind the verge.

We attack first.

Don't do anything
until I say so.

No worries,
we'll be deadly quiet.

Do not attack
until they start running.

And no chaos.
One man each.

Let's go.

Shhht, not a word.

There!
They don't have a clue...

What do you think,
they can't see us.

If only they knew
what's going to happen.

Hopefully
the others keep quiet.

They're setting up.

Shut up.
What are they doing?

They're
putting down their things.

When do we attack?

Keep quiet.

Keep calm you...

... or they'll see us.

So shut up.

They're going to get it.

Sure.

We've got them well.

I'd like to see their faces...

... when they reach
for their pockets.

Serves them.

They were
fearing for their lives.

The guy running
holding his ass!

The watch is mine.

The banana's mine.

The chocolate mine.
- And the cigarettes...

I'll take the mirror.

And I the book.

Great.
A pity there's only one.

What a delicious apple.

Heavy tobacco.
Useless bloke.

What a stupid book.

The watch
in exchange for your marbles.

Do you have a lot?

One, two, three...

At least fifty.

They're all yours.

Hey Freddy.

Three are broken.

Hello Jef.

Want to play with me?
Try it.

What are you doing?
- No, like this.

Hold the mirror in the sun...

... and aim it
at the man at the window.

Give it to me.

Like this.

Let me try again.

Brats...

Won't it stop?

Enough!

What's going on?

I'm coming.

Be careful, that's sharp.

Enough of it!

You've been
making noise for an hour!

What a pest.

Turn the radio on.
- Aye aye Sir.

... stealing, lying or cheating.

The happy life
in the barracks...

... where body
and spirit are educated...

... and
where everyone enjoys...

... the comfort
a human being needs...

... makes one learn
to love one's country...

... family and relatives.

And here is the request.

To celebrate
his leave of service...

... soldier Durant requests...

... a record for his comrades.

Time for dinner!

For the umpteenth time,

stop reading while you eat.

I didn't do anything.

Freddy, your bag!

Give me back
what you've taken.

I haven't taken anything.

We'll see.

Sure.

Here, ape.

They're going to fight.

Come on Freddy.

Don't be afraid!
Hit harder!

You can beat him!
- Get up!

Bastard, he did have it.

Could you repair my watch?

That won't be easy.

It's in a bad shape.

What happened?

It fell on the floor.

That I can see.

Just try it.

A drink?
- A beer.

Hello boys.

Hello boss.

What's up?
You're so quiet.

Sleepy.
- No wonder, with these machines.

Shall we play anyway?

As if
he got a blow on his head.

With all that noise.

Well...

Shall we play?
That'll do you good.

And here are the drinks.

Pass us the backgammon.

Here you are.

Enjoy.
- Thanks.

Still at work.

We women never get rest.

What a noise,
these machines all day.

Everyone stressed,
and my cat gets crazy.

It's hellish.

This hammering
makes my head ache.

Hopefully
it will soon be over.

We don't
feel home in our street.

This is no life.

Only now is it getting quiet.

Time for something else.

It's true...

Men have their beer
and backgammon.

Could you empty the basin?

Everything all right?

Everybody talks
and complains about it.

Your turn.

Always in the pub.

Always the same.

Listen Flup.

Go and get your father.

Worse than the machines
is the demolishing.

Here!

Being evicted is no laugh.

Great!

Nobody's asking
your opinion.

Renting elsewhere
is more expensive.

Mama needs you.

All right.
What's the worry?

Never quiet.

No peace ever
with that woman.

Hello. Everything okay?

We should repair the shack.

Especially the roof.
- It's worthless.

I know where
we can find planks.

Where?

They're leaving.

Follow me.

Don't step on my hands.

Don't push me.

I'm glad I'm out of here.

Take this one.

It's too heavy.

Drop it.

Hurry up.

You and your good advice.

Be careful.

To the left.

Great Freddy.

All right.

Put them down.

Now we have to saw them.

Saw here.

Come in.

Sit down.

We have a tube.

The large radius is 7,5 cm.

And the small one 7 cm.

The height is 80 cm,
the weight 2,8.

What's the weight
of this tube?

What is
the problem actually?

We need the volume
of the big cylinder.

And then?

Substract the volume
of the small cylinder.

How do we find
the volume of a cylinder?

Area of
the base times... times...

Times what?

What is the form
of the base?

A circle.
And how do we find its area?

Pi r² times height.

And in numbers?

Who can
express it in numbers?

Freddy.

And the second cylinder?

3,14 times 7 to the square.

To the square.

To the square times 80.

80.

Now the second mass
can be subtracted...

... from the first one...

... and what do we get?

The mass of the tube.

Pass me the cards.

This makes a good table.

Three, three, three...

Here's the trump.

No cheating.

Wait.

Trump.

What are you doing?

It's for me.

One never knows with you.

King of spades. It's mine.

Here, clubs.

King of Diamonds.
Mine again.

Diamonds.

Freddy wins again.

Lucky devil.

Hello!

Where's Jeanjean?

Home. I'll go and get him.

Be quick, we have to play.

Are you coming?

Come here.

Come up!
- If you dare.

How did you get there?

Let's go.

Did you start it?

Aren't you scared?

Check this.

Will you be able to stop it?

Will you be able to stop it?

Jeanjean, what happened?

Are you hurt?

What happened?

Let's carry him.

It hurts.

Let's go inside.

Not all together.

I don't dare.

You go. You know her.

Yesterday
was such a panic.

Bobby had disappeared.

What are
you telling me now?

He came back
in the evening,

but I couldn't
get angry at him.

My Coco is unbelievable.

Those animals
are so surprising.

He is so clever.

He can say such things...

A dog is true and
doesn’t ask questions.

I see, he's so cute.

I can't live without him.

But I prefer my parrot.

Thank you.

Would you like some coffee?

He's like a child.

As I told you...
- I understand.

He damages my reputation...

... but I can't live without him.

Without him
I would be lonely.

Sometimes
he turns his back on me...

... or he's mad at me.

He refuses his peanuts.

He's like a baby.

Coco is so cute.

Freddy!

Jeanjean
has had an accident.

But nothing bad.

How do you mean?

We took him to the hospital.

The doctor told us
it wasn't too serious.

The doctor?

It's not our fault.

We don't know
how it happened.

Bad boys!
Telling me it's nothing serious.

We didn't do anything.

What's holding me back!

Tell me the truth.

How did it happen?

We were playing.

Where not allowed,
of course.

We were playing
on the building site.

He fell...
- On the building site.

Don't you know
that playing there...

... is dangerous?

Within two weeks
he'll be all right.

Such a fall could be serious.

But he only has
a broken arm...

... and some contusions.
- May he go home?

He'd better stay a while.

Nothing but bad luck.

Our son is in the hospital.

They were playing
on the building site.

The doctor says
it isn't serious,

but is he telling the truth?

That's why
they didn't show up...

and the little one
came home alone.

What were you up to there?

Just taking a look,

on the building site

without touching anything.

Before we'd be there
all the time.

Het was ons terrein.
It was our site.

It was supposed
to be the last time.

We didn't mean no harm.

You can't enter
a building site.

Didn't you know?

Eh... no.

You with your
rascally plans.

We didn't intend to harm.

You prefer
your silly tricks to school.

Jeanjean could have died.

Is the street not enough?

You don't care at all.

We didn't know
he would fall.

I wasn't alone on the site.

No respect for the parents.
Shame on you.

And the little one follows you.

Aren't you ashamed?

Don't you
understand anything?

Get out of here
before I give you a beating.

Cheer up,
everything will be all right.

I should go and...

... burn a candle
in the church.

That won't heal the boy.

Waste of time.

Doctors, all good and well.

Candles are useless.

Jesus, have mercy upon us...

Take care
of the poor for once.

Don't let the same suffer
again and again.

Don't bring
misfortune on us.

It's unjust
what happens to us.

Here are the rascals.

You should be watched
by two policemen.

You can be proud.

No other ambitions
than doing silly things?

You're getting dangerous...

... and this time
you went too far.

I'm at my wit's end.

Young offender institution,
I'm telling you.

They're afraid of nothing.

They enter a building site,

put the crane into action,

and the elevator.

Do you realise
he could have died...

... just like the lot of you?

We could take
the parents to court.

The juvenile court will judge.

Those who break the law
must be punished.

What do you think, Sir?

Tomorrow,
in everyone's presence,

you will be disciplined.

You won't forget
your punishment easily.

If a policeman
spots these criminals again

they will hear from me.

Now get out of my sight.

All good and well, Sir,

but basically
this changes nothing.

Go back to your classes.

And walk the straight path.

You have to set an example.

Don't you think
their friend's accident

was enough
of a punishment?

As you wish, Sir, but...

... I won't tolerate
any misbehaviour.

How are things today?

This won't hurt.

Crying for so little...

... a big boy like you.

Hello Jeanjean.

The poor devil.

You're okay here, after all.

You have everything
you need.

And, how are you?

Cool enough.

We brought you
some goodies.

Apples.

Thank you.

Cigarettes.

I missed this.

Thanks Richard.

The headmaster
summoned us.

Everyone is mad at us.

Boy,
did we get in trouble for it.

And your father
is furious at me.

And this here.

Do you think this is fun?

You're fine here.

Help yourselves.

Do they take
good care of you?

I get injections...

... but the nurse
is good-looking so...

So there was
a big fuss at school?

Sure.

It's not nice here.
I'm bored.

You're lucky.

We have to go.

See you.

Take care.

Everything worked out well.

Jeanjean is back home.

But we won't
see Jef any more.

Why?

Francine... How sad.

Dropping his friends
like this.

How terrible.
- And all this for a girl.

That beats everything.

THE END