Goodbye Children (Au revoir les enfants)

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Louis Malle

Runtime:

1hr 44m

Synopsis

A French boarding school run by priests seems to be a haven from World War II until a new student arrives. Occupying the next bed in the dormitory to the top student in his class, the two young boys begin to form a bond.

Cast

  • Gaspard Manesse
  • Raphael Fejtö
  • Francine Racette
  • Stanislas Carré de Malberg
  • Philippe Morier-Genoud
  • François Berléand
  • François Négret
  • Peter Fitz
  • Pascal Rivet
  • Benoît Henriet

Letterboxd User Reviews

4.2
94.4K
48.1K
28.8K
RATINGS 1.2K FANS
4.2
  • Aug 1, 2020

    it’s one of those films that uses restraint so perfectly, that you can feel the weight of every small moment. i don’t think i’ll get the image of julien’s hand heavily resting on his book, almost frozen, after jean shook it towards the end of the film for a long time.

    842 Likes
    Laura
    Laura
    Mar 23, 2017

    julien and jean were gay

    668 Likes
    trashcams
    trashcams
    Aug 22, 2021

    I feel so empty inside.

    574 Likes
    Tom Brady
    Tom Brady
  •
    Jan 31, 2018

    why do they talk like that

    555 Likes
    chance.
    chance.
    Jun 16, 2020

    Louis Malle is fast becoming one of my favorite directors. This was such a quiet and powerful movie. I don’t even want to say much because I think it’s best to go in with no prior knowledge of the story, but I will say that the ending is incredible. The child performances…

    517 Likes
    Ethan Colburn
    Ethan Colburn
    Jun 1, 2020

    To watch Julien and Jean form a bond that tender was just too much for me. The ending killed me

    502 Likes
    megan
    megan
  •
    Aug 30, 2018

    “You realize there will never be another January 17, 1944? Never again. In 40 years, half these guys will be dead and buried.”Au Revoir Les Enfants is a captivating tale of friendship, betrayal and loss of childhood innocence in the Nazi Occupied France. This compelling…

    363 Likes
    ella
    ella
    Jun 27, 2021

    « Au revoir mon père »

    340 Likes
    Sergio Muñoz Esquer
    Sergio Muñoz Esquer
    Oct 14, 2023

    This broke me. Absolutely heartbreaking that this is based off of real events. On top of that, with everything going on in the world at the moment, this film feels more relevant than ever. In the words of Pitirim Sorokin: 'Hate begets hate, violence engenders violence,…

    237 Likes
    JB
    JB

Queue Community Reviews

87%
Community 440
❤️ LOVE
31%
👍 LIKE
56%
😐 MEH
10%
👎 DISLIKE
3%
Top Reviews
  • William Kotler
    William Kotler loved
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    This was the movie our French teachers put on when it was movie day….tough watch. Great movie. Big spot in my heart for sure.

    7M
    Claudia Lupton
    Claudia Lupton loved
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    Although the title only comes into focus at the end, it is a perfect representation of the entire touching story of boyhood

    3Y
    sam
    sam loved
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    heartbreaking but for some unknown reason this film brought me closure i didn’t know i needed

    3Y
  • Michael
    Michael liked
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    Beautifully made and heartfelt film, that doesn’t leave much of emotional response. 6.5/10

    3Y
    Emily
    Emily is "meh" on
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    watched it for school. kinda good but ending kinda ruined it.

    1Y
    miA
    miA loved
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    It’s giving ‘last week of school movies’ and I love it

    2Y
  • Clarke
    Clarke loved
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    Favorite movie. Captures loss perfectly.

    1Y
    Vonnart
    Vonnart liked
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    6.5/10

    8M
    Luca Tosti
    Luca Tosti liked
    Au Revoir les Enfants

    8/10

    2Y

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

88
metacritic
Based on 18 Critics
7.8

USER SCORE (6)

Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Reviews
100

The film was written and directed by Louis Malle, who based it on a childhood memory. Judging by the tears I saw streaming down his face on the night the film was shown at the Telluride Film Festival, the memory has caused him pain for many years.

Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
90

Louis Malle's Au Revoir Les Enfants is more than his wartime memoir; it is an epitaph to innocence.

Metacritic review by Rita Kempley
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
100

It remains breathtakingly good. There is a miraculous, unforced ease and naturalness in the acting and direction; it is classic movie storytelling in the service of important themes.

Metacritic review by Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
The Guardian

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Goodbye Children (Au revoir les enfants)?
The movie is 1hr 44min long.
What's Goodbye Children (Au revoir les enfants) about?
A French boarding school run by priests seems to be a haven from World War II until a new student arrives. Occupying the next bed in the dormitory to the top student in his class, the two young boys begin to form a bond.
Who's the cast of Goodbye Children (Au revoir les enfants)?
  • Gaspard Manesse as Julien Quentin
  • Raphael Fejtö as Jean Bonnet
  • Francine Racette as Mme Quentin
  • Stanislas Carré de Malberg as François Quentin
  • Philippe Morier-Genoud as Père Jean
  • François Berléand as Père Michel
  • François Négret as Joseph
  • Peter Fitz as Muller
  • Pascal Rivet as Boulanger
  • Benoît Henriet as Ciron
Who's the director behind Goodbye Children (Au revoir les enfants)?
Louis Malle directed Goodbye Children (Au revoir les enfants).