- Two boys in their early adolescence in a strictly-run pre-WWII Catholic school form a firm friendship that is troubled by an abbot who is obsessed with the younger boy.
- The story takes place before World War II in a Catholic boys' school in Paris, where the friendship between bright philosophy student André Sevrais (Naël Marandin) and his younger schoolmate Souplier (Clément van den Bergh) arouses the jealousy of the Abbot de Pradts (Christophe Malavoy), who is secretly in the thrall of young Souplier. De Pradts lays a trap for Sevrais but ends up crushed by his own machinations, to the utter disdain of the Father Superior (Michel Aumont).—Ferry Silitonga
- The screenplay is based on a semi-autobiographical play by Henry de Montherlant (1895-1972), which he began drafting at the age of 17, a year after he was expelled from an academy because of his friendship with another student; it was not published until 1951 because of its difficult subject: romantic friendships between schoolboys. The French title La Ville dont le Prince est un Enfant is taken from the Biblical text of Ecclesiastes 10:16 "Woe to the land whose king is a child." The limited action and long speeches in the film betray its origins in a play, but the director has managed to provide some variation in the locations of various scenes.
The action takes place between the two world wars in the Auteil district of Paris at a Catholic boarding-school. The star pupil, André Sevrais, is a teenage day-boy who has taken under his protection the 11-year-old boarder Serge Souplier, who is neglected at home, disobedient in school and generally regarded as the schools worst pupil; his parents are also behind with the fees. "Particular friendships", or close, exclusive friendships, especially those between boys of different ages, were not only discouraged by the Roman Catholic church at that time, but when detected would usually result in expulsion, as it was believed that emotional attachments would inevitably lead to sexual relationships. The film opens at the start of a new term and Sevrais is waiting at the school entrance to greet his young friend Souplier, watched by the disapproving Abbé de Pradts, who is later shown to have an unhealthy interest in the younger boy. When Sevrais offers to give up his friendship if the priest considers him to be a bad influence, de Pradts suggests instead an "alliance", as long as his behaviour is beyond reproach, saying that he believes in the power of true affection. But secretly he is jealous of Sevrais and only gives his approval of the friendship because he intends to set a trap for the older boy when an occasion arises so that he can expel him. De Pradts has turned down the opportunity of promotion to Rome so that he can remain at the school with Souplier, whose removal for bad conduct and poor academic achievement he has already prevented twice. When Souplier tells him "Sevrais is the best", de Pradts replies that he is "Intelligent, noble-minded, but independent, sure of himself and, as a day-boy, free to act as he pleases"; in other words beyond the priests control. The priest is trying to get Souplier to come and stay at his country home. "Why are you so good to me?" the innocent boy asks de Pradts; "Because you deserve it" he replies evasively.
Sevrais tries to encourage Souplier to do better: "I so dearly want you to become someone really good." He tells him that he loves him and wishes they were brothers, but is not "in love" with him. Souplier, no doubt echoing others comments, tells him that he is a difficult child, a burden to his parents, disobedient and quite impossible, but adds: "I will be what you want me to be." They exchange blood in a pact of eternal friendship, so that when de Pradts asks Souplier if he loves Sevrais, he replies it is a matter of life and death between them. When the two boys meet by arrangement after lessons in a school storeroom de Pradts, who sees them at the window, seizes his opportunity, using the fact that the door was locked to indicate misbehaviour. Sevrais takes the blame and is ignominiously expelled, although it was actually Souplier who had locked the door, knowing that the Abbé was nearby.
When he expels Sevrais, de Pradts tells him that he must never see Souplier again, even outside of school, saying that he should be a "good loser", as though it were all a game, and extracts the promise from him. Sevrais says nobly: "I love him enough to give him up". Forbidding him even to say goodbye to his friend - "it would be too melodramatic" - the priest boasts "I have hurt others before". As Sevrais leaves a master tells him: "It was a trap - everything was done to lead you on."
The Father Superior has quietly been observing de Pradts behaviour for some time and as the two priests prepare the chapel for service, in a long exchange which ends the film, he comments that Sevrais leaves forever, cast out without a farewell to his friend, classmates or teachers; only one boy passing him in the courtyard offered his hand a spark of human kindness. If only the boys could find it in their priests! "We push, pull and confuse these poor children." De Pradts says he rather liked Sevrais "cold distress." The Superior retorts "We know you love boys tears, mothers tears, as some do lovers tears. You are a master at making matters worse!" De Pradts says "By hurting us and being hurt by us Sevrais learned who we are and that will be what this school gave him." "And might it not also have made him a Christian?" asks the Superior.
With pity and charity he analyses the priests motivation, revealing to the priest his true nature. "Souplier told me last night it was he who locked the storeroom door and yet when you accused Sevrais he did not deny it. To protect his friend. It is tragic that I had to sacrifice this boy because of you. You made this a drama that could have been avoided. You made a fuss and I had no choice but to act!"
De Pradts hears the choir rehearsing and notices that Soupliers voice is not among them (he had arranged free singing lessons for him). "Is he ill? Being punished? Suspended?" he asks, but the Superior is silent. Eventually he realises that Souplier has been removed, but cannot accept this sacrifice with the same dignity as shown by Sevrais, and under the pressure of grief and rage shows the Superior "an attachment from which God is excluded." The Superior tells him "The Souplier experiment is over! You were only too happy to discuss him with Sevrais, even with me, for any reason or none; you spoke only of him. Did you speak to either of them of God? You wanted to have Souplier in your power." The priest replies "His name flew from my heart to my lips. The expulsion of Souplier would be the greatest grief of my priestly life." The Superior says "I would wish you to have other griefs. You say too much." He makes de Pradts promise not to see Souplier again, nor even to say goodbye, just as he had required of Sevrais the day before. He continues "There is a fire in you it burns but gives no light. When Souplier left he said 'No one will miss me here. I leave a bad memory wherever I go.' I told him you are leaving us a vivid memory - 'bad' and 'vivid' are not the same. Are you so far from being a Christian that you have not loved a person, a soul, but only a face? Ecclesiastes says 'Woe to the land whose king is a child.' Our religion is founded on love but not the love of faces." As the choir and pupils process into the chapel, de Pradts is left to reflect on the difference between sacred and profane love and the sacrifice he forced upon Sevrais and must now accept himself.
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