An absolutely engrossing pseudo-documentary about a year in the life of a classroom in one of France's poorer, immigrant-dominated schools.
This is no inspirational teacher/student story on the order of "Stand and Deliver." Rather, this is a grunt's eye view of what it's like to make it through a day with kids who haven't been given the least bit of chance to excel or succeed. The teacher at the center of the film is no saint. His method is to maintain a constant state of intellectual dominance that comes across as arrogant and condescending, and at one critical juncture in the film that results in the expulsion of a problem student he's downright inappropriate. However, this film offers no easy solutions, and it's clear that he does enjoy a certain rapport with his students that the other teachers don't, despite his sometimes questionable approach. One senses that being nice and nurturing wouldn't get him very far anyway -- these particular students sense weakness and use it to their advantage.
A riveting film.
Grade: A+
This is no inspirational teacher/student story on the order of "Stand and Deliver." Rather, this is a grunt's eye view of what it's like to make it through a day with kids who haven't been given the least bit of chance to excel or succeed. The teacher at the center of the film is no saint. His method is to maintain a constant state of intellectual dominance that comes across as arrogant and condescending, and at one critical juncture in the film that results in the expulsion of a problem student he's downright inappropriate. However, this film offers no easy solutions, and it's clear that he does enjoy a certain rapport with his students that the other teachers don't, despite his sometimes questionable approach. One senses that being nice and nurturing wouldn't get him very far anyway -- these particular students sense weakness and use it to their advantage.
A riveting film.
Grade: A+