French Movies
What follows is a list a French Movie titles passed on by members of FLTeach. Many are considered (by some FLTeachers) to be appropriate for High School students. By creating this list, I am not necessarily recommending that you show these in class. In fact, I've only seen a few of these. Not all FLTeachers agreed on the level of appropriateness of certain films. If you are a teacher of French and are considering showing a movie, I recommend that you please watch it first, use your own judgment, and follow the guidelines of your district.
After the list you'll find comments made by FLTeachers regarding some of these films.
MERCI!!! to all of the teachers who answered my question about French movies.
Argent de poche (Small Change)
Astérix et Obélix contre César
Au revoir, les enfants
Chacun cherche son chat (While the Cat's Away)
Cyrano (Dépardieu version)
Diabolique
Diva
Hôtel du Nord
Jean de Florette
La belle et la bête (by Jean Cocteau)
La Cage aux Folles (remade as "The Bird Cage")
La Chèvre (remade as "Pure Luck" in US)
la Gloire de Mon Pere
Amelie
La Grande Vadrouille
La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille
L'ami de mon amie
L'Atalante
Le Beau Mariage
le Chateau de Ma Mere
Le Conte de Monte Cristo
Le Dernier métro
Le Diner des cons
Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire (remade as "The Man With One Red Shoe")
Le Huitième Jour
Le Hussard sur le toit
Le Ripoux
Les Compères
Les Misérables (the WWII-themed one)
Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot
Les Visiteurs (American version released in 2001)
Maman, j'ai raté l'avion ("Home Alone" dubbed into French)
Manon des Sources
Mon Oncle
Mon Oncle d'Amérique
Mondo
Nikita (remade as "Point of No Return")
On connait la chanson
Ponette
Retour Vers le Futur ("Back to the Future" dubbed into French)
Ridicule
Romuald et Juliette
Rue Cases Negres (Sugar Cane Alley)
Serial Lover
St-Cyr
Tatie Danielle
Trois Hommes et un Couffin (remade as "3 Men and a Baby")
The Vanishing (Dutch with a lot of French)
Vatel
While the Cat's Away (Chacun cherche son chat)
AND HERE ARE SOME COMMENTS ON THESE MOVIES.....
Les visiteurs is very funny, but since the two main characters speak most of the time in a strange combination of old and modern French, it makes it hard for non-natives to understand the dialog. Subtitles help of course.
Setting the context ahead of time also would help. It doesn't do a great job protraying class differences in France today based on visuals and linguistic styles. Note that "Just Visiting" , in current release, is a remake with the same actors (Jean Reno) in Chicago. Has anyone seen it? I'd be curious to have your opinions.
Paris
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Amelie
It IS a wonderful film. I saw it in France twice last
summer. I was all set to buy the film package from
FilmArobics; then I saw it again on TV5 just recently.
I had forgotten about some scenes; there is no way I
could show the entire film to my HS class. It has
five scenes that HS teachers should be aware of: 1) a
couple in the "act" 2) Amelie is on the rooftop
counting the number of orgasims she hears one evening
3) one of the characters works in a sex shop and in
the background, clearly visible, are sex toys 4) two
of the characters are talking in this sex shop
stamping prices on these sex toys and 5) one of the
characters is a topless dancer in a peep show; and
"appropriately" enough she is shown dancing topless.
I still might get the DVD and show some scenes from
the film.
James C. May
Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School
Milwaukee, WI
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Note that "Just Visiting", in current release, is a
remake with the same actors (Jean Reno) in Chicago. Has anyone seen it? I'd be curious to have your opinions.
I went to see it Thursday afternoon. Thursday morning I had re-watched my
videocassette of the original (which I had seen in France, and the cassette
of which I bought in Quebec a couple years back), so I guess I have as good
a basis for comparison as anyone.
The American version seems to be played more for slapstick and special
effects, with social satire kept at a minimun, as "comedie de moeurs" is a
victim of the cultural barrier. I guess John Hughes thought the names
"Godefroy" and "Jacquouille" were too hard for us to digest, as their names
have been changed to "Thibault" and "Andre". The French actors speak
understandable English. Malcolm McDowell is rather funny as the sorcerer,
and Christina Applegate as the female lead is a far cry from her Kelly Bundy
character.
It's not one of the all-time great movies, nor is it one of the all-time
great re-makes of a foreign flick; but for $5.50, what the hell--it was a
nice little diversion for the beginning of our mammoth Thu-Fri-Mon spring
break.
Jeff Amdur
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I met some of my students on a Saturday afternoon and saw the movie,
Just Visiting.
In my opinion, I believe the producers (Reno & co.) have done a nice job
of adapting the movie to the US audience. I was a little skeptical at
the beginning, but I was very pleased when I left. They portray the
Middle Age class differences very well (visually and linguistically).
The modern-day class differences are a little weaker: a young lady
working as a gardener for an affluent, indifferent couple in an
upper-class neighborhood of Chicago. You could also include the
"fiancé's" attitude and way of life...
My students also enjoyed my husband, who is French, rolling on the
ground with laughter as well as singing along during the bar scene...
Luckily, we were basically the only group in the movie theatre! From a
French point of view, he was pleased and amused (obviously!).
Could we adapt this movie to the classroom? Is it worth it? What does
FLTEACH think?
Sarah TARDIVON
dstardivon@fuse.net
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I am surprised to see no one mentioned "Trois Hommes et un Couffin". I
always use this one when I do a unit on American remakes of French
movies. The similarities are unbelievable!
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It's true, the French definitely have a different sense of humor...
I'd never show Tatie Danielle...sex, foul language....but
it is funny.
I got a copy of Les Visiteurs and wouldn't show that
either...but my adult friends roared at the beginning part...
I also purchased Le Diner des cons, a popular farce.
It, like Les Visiteurs, is fairly funny if you know what
they are making fun of (for example, forcing a PSG fan
to chant "Allez, OM!") but most students won't get that.
My students have, in the past, really enjoyed La Chèvre
(same comedy team as in Les Compères) which was
remade into Pure Luck with Martin Short. Trois Hommes
et un couffin became Three Men and a Baby...
La Cage aux Folles became The Birdcage (my students
think the French version is funnier than the Robin Williams
one...)
For a scary movie, but with a happy ending, try Diabolique.
And then there's Nikita (remade as Point of No Return) in
which the heroine escapes life as an assassin. Upbeat.
And I really like Le Hussard sur le toit, very romantic and
beautiful (though my students are disappointed that the ending
isn't as dramatically upbeat as in an American movie).
I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with "While the
Cat's Away" (I forget the French title) about a Parisian girl
who gets to know all sorts of eccentric people in her neighborhood
(and who also finds love) while looking for a lost cat. They
are remaking it right now (I think for a fall release) but have
moved the setting to New York....
Debbie
mdblaz@juno.com
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Have you considered a modern movie - even with the voice-over in French,
they are a good vehicle for comprehension. If you have a DVD player, you
can control the subtitles. I've used 'Man in the Iron Mask', most of the
Disney (for fun), and several current movies that are available in DVD
Spanish and French.
kc
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Dear Robert,
You asked, "Does anyone have any sugestions for any
appropriate (for level 4, 5 or 6) and upbeat French movies?"
My French I students found les Comperes funny with, whom else,
Gerard Depardieu. I show it after we learn family vocabulary.
It is very easy French. Unfortunately, the movie is aging;
the movie's beautiful BMW now has the look of a used car.
Polly Lynn
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I thought I'd throw my 2 centîmes into this discussion. I have shown "La
Grande Vadrouille" for the past 4 years. My students howl when they watch
it. It's old, but it has two of the greatest French comedians in it:
Bourvil & Louis de Funès, The story is pretty easy to follow. The
version I have has sub-titles, but it would be fine without. There is
some German and English in it.
Just food for thought.
Peter L. Girbert
Foreign Language Teacher
Northview Middle School
pgirbert@msdwt.k12.in.us
<>
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My students really enjoy "la Gloire de Mon Pere" and "le Chateau de Ma Mere."
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Both La Gloire de mon pere and Le Chateau de ma mere kept my French 4
and French 5 students quite mesmerized - the stories are charming and
poignant but mostly upbeat. The language is clear and easy for them to
understand.
Tatie Danielle has its more humorous moments...as well as sad...
Cherie Pettersen
Duluth Public Schools
Duluth, MN
<>
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In this film, "Romuald et Juliette", when the little boy says "Mama
there's a man in your bed," it is the mother's boss, who is hiding out
in her appartment. She is not in bed with him; I think she slept in the
bath tub. They do eventually become involved and get married,
there are perhaps 1 or 2 short scenes that might need to be cut if
required by school regulations.
Bob
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Reply to: Re: French Movies
Argent de poche is cute about middle school girl trying to pass as a boy.
"Small Change" We just saw it in second year French. Clean and cute.
Jacquelyn Achuff wrote:How did find "La Boum"? That is one of my favorite movies. Was the film with
subtitles?
Merci,
Jacquelyn Achuff
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Two humorous movies that I have shown to French
students and that they have enjoyed are Tatie Danielle
and Le Diner de Cons. I showed Tatie Danielle to my
sophomores last year, while I showed Le Diner de Cons
to them as well as to my juniors and seniors this
year. Tatie Danielle has one scene you might want to
fast forward, but other than that is a "clean" movie,
as is Le Diner de cons. I agree that sometimes
students just don't get the word plays, etc.
(especially in the Diner de Cons), but my kids still
laughed about both movies even months after watching
them.
By the way, Filmarobics sells lesson plans for both
films. Their lesson plans are a great way to get
students paying attention to language and culture in a
foreign film. I am using one right now for a
different movie, and so far it has been successful.
Denise Hamwey
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I've shown "Le Huitième Jour" w/ great success in
French III, and it'd be good for French IV as well.
After I show this movie and tell the kids about my
Down syndrome brother, I never hear them call each
other 'retard' again. The two male leads shared the
Cannes award for best actor--it's a wonderful film
with a delightful sense of fantasy.
Not a happy movie, but a great one to show: "Au
revoir, les enfants". Another quasi-happy film would
be "Ponette"--an incredible performance by a 4-year
old girl.
Marcy St.John
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Have you seen Les Visiteurs? It's hysterical and will have a new US
remake out this summer called We're just visiting. I don't know how
appropriate it would be.
patrice castillo
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Well.... you could try showing them "Sans toit ni loi", then they'll
think that the others are quite happy ;-) Just kidding. One problem
is that comedies tend to move very fast (making them harder to
understand), often base their interest on situations that may not be
appropriate for the HS classroom, and frequently are just too silly to
be or real pedagogical interest. French cinema also tends to focus on
interesting situations rather than on "le happy end" that is designed to
make the audience feel good about itself. Many recent French films that
I loved tend to be the sorts of films that most of my lower level
students would not like, though many of my upper division college
students might find interesting. I LOVED "On connait la chanson" but
don't know anyone else who did.
"Serial lover" is very funny, though a bit violent and dark. "Argent de
poche" is quite interesting and amusing, though there are a couple of
scenes that you might want to edit out for a HS presentation. I liked
"Ridicule" but don't have a good sense of how a HS class would respond.
"La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille" is one of my favorites but the
irony in the portrayal of the conservative Catholic family might not
come across due to the cultural difference (but this is true for most
interesting comedies). "Romuald et Juliette" is fun and interesting,
yet almost American in it's "happy end", and I think there might be just
one scene with sexual content that might need to be edited out for HS.
"Diva" is another of my personal favorites. "Le Ripoux" is quite funny,
but from the point of view of morality..., like most French cinema
suggests that what is interesting is what does not support the status
quo or reinforce the viewer's naive belief system. "La Gloire de mon
père" and "Le Château de ma mère" are both very upbeat and childlike in
their point of view. "Le Dernier métro" ends well.
There are also lots of films that would not meet the "happy end"
criterion, but that have scenes that can be studied on their own as
support materials for many standard curricular topics.
Bob
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When I showed "Mon Oncle," I almost fell out of the chair laughing at the
dry humor, but my students were bored.
Bunny Rubenstein
brubens1@midsouth.rr.com
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And what about the films of Jacques Tati? (Mon Oncle d'Amérique or Les
vacances de Monsieur Hulot for example). Do you think American students
would understand this kind of humour? They are not that sad at all and
the language is pretty easy if not too easy...But most of them are in
black and white and your student might think they are a bit out of
date...
Florent
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Jakes Tatti's movies were not intended to be shown to immature audiences, this
is my opinion; he used to make a movie per year and it was precisely to have a
masterpiece at the end. When I came to the States 19 years ago, few of the new
friends knew about this French cinema maker. I know of his work mainly because
I've been addictive to cinema, but my Colombian friends, many of them consider
to be very educated people, didn't know Tatti's work either. I don't believe
that I'll be able to watch a Tatti's movie here in Cincinnati, unless I rent it
one from a video place. I guess Bunny, one has to select not on what we adult
like to.
Gus Benedetti
Cincinnati, Oh
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Well, what's wrong with "La Gloire de Mon Pere?" You can keep with
your Marcel Pagnol theme and move right along with that. Maybe even tell
them a little about Provence. I had the opportunity of visiting Aubagne
last
summer and one can just imagine little Marcel up there at the "Bastide."
The
sequel, "Le Chateau de Ma Mere" is a little gloomy toward the end, but they
are in high school. They can handle it. How about "Au Revoir Les Enfants?"
Too gloomy, but very honest and sensitive. Oh, "Le Conte de Monte Cristo."
Eww, all about revenge. Kids that theme. There's a good guy and a love
story that
one can show in the classroom (if I remember the Bravo one that I saw this
past fall).
It's with Depardieu, you know the one. Well, just a thought. Stick with
Pagnol.
LB
Arizona State University
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When I was in France in 1999, I saw a movie about a young boy, titled
"Mondo," based on a short story by Le Clezio. It was a wonderful
film, although I haven't been able to find it here (I also haven't
looked very hard). It would be a good movie for the upper levels of
French simply because they could struggle through the short story as
well. There were very sad elements to the film but I remember leaving
the theater feeling quite grand about the world.
Sorry I can't provide specific ways to purchase the movie. Good luck.
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I was discussing the "Are there any non-sad French movies?" thread with my
mom, an avid student of French, and besides several films that were already
mentioned here, she also suggested these:
On Connaît le Chanson ( http://us.imdb.com/Title?0119828 )
Le Beau Mariage ( http://us.imdb.com/Title?0082053 )
Hôtel du Nord ( http://us.imdb.com/Title?0030252)
Astérix et Obélix contre César , with Gérard Depardieu as Obélix (
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0133385 )
Les Misérables (the WWII-themed one) ( http://us.imdb.com/Title?0113828 )
and
Ridicule ( http://us.imdb.com/Title?0117477 )
I have not seen any of the above myself (yet), but I did catch a showing of:
L'Atalante , by Jean Vigo ( http://us.imdb.com/Title?0024844 )
and found it a little slow, but well-made and fascinating.
Another that I found worth watching more than once was:
L'ami de mon amie (Boyfriends and Girlfriends) by Rohmer (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0092550 )
And one that students might enjoy (and teachers won't have to edit) is:
La belle et la bête , by Jean Cocteau (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0038348 )
You can browse through or search 10,919 films with at least some French
dialogue at:
http://us.imdb.com/Sections/Languages/French/
To find information on just about any film ever made, you can go to the Internet Movie Database at:
http://us.imdb.com/
(Allow yourself at least a half hour or an hour to explore this one,
especially if you are even remotely a fan of movies; it's one of those sites
that can be hard to pull yourself away from.)
Chris Marquardt
spanishpronto@aol.com
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"Will we get to see any happy movies?"
I heard this too! But I also experienced the inverse: I showed my French III
classes "La Gloire de mon pere" and "Le chateau de ma mere," and warned them
beforehand that they might need kleenex. In both of the sections that viewed
the films, I was the only one who cried! The students loved the films, but
saw very little to cry about, except the last two minutes of the second one.
I explained that, as one gets older, and goes through more life experiences,
watching a film about someone else's life experiences can be very moving.
They still didn't get it, but I expect that if they watch those same films
in ten years, they will see them differently.
Laura Jackson
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Chers listeurs,
I don't remember every scene as to appropriateness for students, except one
in which the female lead wears a dress cut extremely low in the back, but how
about "Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire"? I thought that was one of
the funniest French films I every saw.
For serious and sad, the newer "St. Cyr" is quite good, but maybe not for
students -- it concerns the later life of Mme de Maintenon, the second wife
of Louis XIV, and her school for girls.
Bon weekend,
Linda Twedt
Poitiers75@aol.com
Pittsburgh, PA
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Just a thought on French humor. Not that everyone in France
has the same sense of humor, BUT I did notice a tendancy for French people to
find slapstick (such as Bugs Bunny cartoons) funnier than do the Americans I know.
Besides slapstick, I noticed a lot of word plays, double entendres and even triple entendres
that our students would not get. Assuming the French do prefer slapstick and word plays,
would this make it difficult to choose a French film that American students would find
funny? Slapstick might seem juvenile to American students and word plays would go over
their heads. A funny French film that you could show successfully to French students
might rely --not only on slapstick but also-- on other kinds of humor. I'll be interested in
other people's suggestions of funny French films for Robert(?) to show his French III, IV,
and V.
Polly
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"Romauld et Julliette" is a wonderful film. A little
sad but mostly funny. It also looks at racism.
Sarah Taylor
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Maybe it's too late to send this to you, but I would like to recommend the
Dutch film "The Vanishing" . It has some Dutch in it but the film takes
place in France and 95% of the dialogue is French. It is a rather intense
film, and has an American remake, also called "The Vanishing" produced by
the same director. However, the Americans insisted (of course) on a "happy
ending" which turns out to be absurd. The plot concerns a girl who is
kidnapped in France and her boyfriend spends years trying to find out what
happened to her. He does find out, but the end result is horrific. This
is one of the best films I have ever seen because it is a true mystery
right up until the end. There is no sex but some violence when the film
shows how the girl was kidnapped. C'est à ne pas manquer!!
James C. May
Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School
Milwaukee, WI
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"While the cat's away" "Chacun cherche son chat" (in my humble
opinion, the English title misses the meaning of the movie). Great movie.
I am not sure many high school students would enjoy it, though.
"Mon oncle" (wonderful!) & "Mon oncle d'Amérique" are 2 different movies, as
you guessed.
Thanks again,
Anne-Marie
Albany, NY
cbrown3@nycap.rr.com
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VATEL
If you French teachers have not yet seen the film Vatel, I think you might enjoy it. Gerard Depardieu plays the lead role. It was nominated for an Oscar last year for Best Art Direction. It has been recently released on video, is PG13, and a delight to watch. The story is based on history with a love story thrown in. My students loved it. It offers a glimpse into the extravagance of the entertainment for the Court of Louis XIV.
Jeannie Exum
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