La ville dont le prince est un enfant (French) [The Fire That Burns]

At a glance, you may feel that this film is yet another film of unrequited love set in a Catholic boarding school. But actually the more you pay attention to the details, you realize the film is a lot about manipulation as well and how different people at different positions can use their power to get something. A story of passionate romantic relationship between two young pupils of a Catholic boarding school in France and the jealousy of a teacher, this film could have gone so wrong in the hands of a novice director, but here everything is handled with utmost sensitivity. Everyone thinks that they are doing for the best of everyone around them, but things and reasons are sometimes much more deeper than we think and sometimes even what a movie can express.

16 year old Servais, one of the brightest students in the school, a day boarder, has an unlikely friendship (romantic relationship) with 11 year old Souplier, who stays in the school, comes from a poor family and is always messing up with studies and other activities. All is well, till one of the teachers jealousy is awakened. The teacher wants the young Souplier all to himself. He uses his position of authority to try to handle the adolescent Servais, with the pretext of protecting the youngster Souplier and come sup with a plot, which is difficult to be understood by the students. When he manages to catch the two boys in a room, he makes the school expel Servais, who fails to understand his mistake. We see the coming of teacher as an emotional sadist, who is taken to task when the school superior informs him how he has made sure that even Souplier doesn't stay in school. The superior has been continuously minoring the teacher's actions and has been wondering how much a man could wander away from God.

The film is left with an open ending, much to my frustration honestly. But considering that this actually might be chapter of the writer's own life, I am thinking, maybe there wasn't a real happy ending to the relationship. But I was still left wondering with many questions like what role does the superior eventually play here? He keeps observing the whole situation but doesn't really do anything till the end. Servais-Souvlier relationship is known pretty much to everyone in school (Students or teachers), so then why are they afraid to meet? I mean, their romance is interesting because they are clearly very young boys and they kiss and hug each other but they also know that relationship is not usual and that it is frowned upon by school authorities which is evident in their notes to each other always marked with “to be burned“. Something about the way this film is. made, the cinematography and everything makes you feel the story is more real than ever. The whole thing is enhanced by some amazing performances. Servais as old older child, whose friendliness, love, anger and agony are easily empathized with is. He brings both the innocence and purity at the same time. The young kid playing Souplier is an amazing find. Thanks to his emotive facial expressions, one is truly able to recognize the mischievous nature of his character as well as provide him with the playfulness, innocence and vulnerability for which children of his age are known. The fact that the two kids carry the film on their shoulders is truly incredible. 

I personally am not very sure if I understand the motivations behind the teachers actions. It was never shown the reasons for his investment in Souplier. Was it sexual, emotional or something else? Towards the end we see that he has some sort of connection with many students when he manages to recognize the voice in the choir practice. So his angle as the antagonist and the reasons (maybe religious was the one thing that still bothers me) is not clear. Towards the end, the whole metaphysical and philosophical discussion of God's love and humans between the Superior and the teacher was also a bit over my head. Overall its a philosophical film that portrays young love, characterized by intensity, exclusivity, and intimacy which I have never seen before. The story is controversial, no doubt, but the treatment certainly is not. (7.5/10)