Wall

Eduardo

27Nov12

What do the students sing in the beginning or while marching in the streets?

rischka

15Feb13

to the pyre with the books and the teacher with them...
Eduardo

19Feb13

cool

AKFilmFan

18Jul12

With such an oppressive school it's hard not to love these anarchist kids in this short film directed so well by Vigo. Nice Chaplin references as well.

Set in a prison-like boarding school run by militaristic teachers, Vigo's film is both a surreal fantasy and a sombre indictment of the repression of children. It was considered 'anti-French' and banned by the authorities until after World War II. The director drew on his own unhappy schooldays for inspiration and presents the children as imaginative and anarchic. Though highly influential, it left me somewhat cold..

Harry Rossi

19May12

Charming on an absolutely fundamental level. Vigo brings an such playfulness and beauty to the material he makes it almost impossible not to enjoy. Also the slow motion shots are incredible.

Lauren D. Kemp and Colton Bose like this

Judicial Joe

7Apr12

I wish my elementary school principal had been a bearded dwarf. Clearly one of the most influential films of its era - Godard, Truffaut, Anderson, Scorsese, and Fassbinder cribbed from it - and certainly one of the more fun short features of the prewar era.

Mark_Med

5Apr12

Short but sweet. I loved the scene when the children bombard the school administration from the roof and you see manikins sitting in the stands instead of people.

Colton Bose and Judicial Joe like this

TFCHooligan69

1Jan12

Tremendous. This film demands to be seen.

Christopher

8Nov11

The last 15 minutes are the best

schiele and 2 others like this

a Smith, Colton Bose

T. J. Harman

8Nov11

The riot scene with the pillow feathers may be my favorite use of slow mo ever.

TFCHooligan69 and 5 others like this

J Luis Rivera, GJP, Mike, Cem, Christopher

Andres Pff

6Nov11

the kids parade was as epic as the fight in pelennor fields, it was kind of biblical in a way, idk i cant explain it. vigos use of slow mo is so nice, and its always used appropriately.

Charles Coleman

19Oct11

My favorite of all the Vigo films. Really sweet story about the struggles of these boarding school kids and their overbearing teachers and higher ups. Amusing and touching with a dash of youthful anarchy in the film. What more do you want in a film? Beautifully done.

Indrek

11Oct11

Being rebel in the 30-s is far more cooler than being rebel nowadays.

Christopher Taylor

4Sep11

A truly influential film whose reverberation through film history can be felt easily, an exercise in rebellion and poetic realism.

Matthew_Lucas

27Aug11

While Jean Vigo's first film, A PROPOS DE NICE heralded his arrival as a sly satirist, it was was his third short, ZERO DE CONDUITE, that really established him as an artist. 3 shorts in and Vigo has already seemed to master his craft with this jolting and playful film about a group of boys revolting against their boarding school superiors. Surprisingly dense, the film is a bold, inventive work of art.

Indrek likes this

Border Radio

22Jun11

A charming mess.

Aaron Garrett

2Apr11

The pillow fight scene alone makes this one of the greatest films ever made.

comeandsee

19Jan11

this is a real masterpiece of a short. the basis of many more famous reinterpretations but none really surpass this one. the revolutionary spirit is key, and added the fervour and spirit of youth it is a real testament to the energy of these characters. seriously funny at points too with some fine moments of humour. the energy, the composition and the sheer revolutionary joy of this film are worth it all.