Editorial Review

It's hard to believe that this fantastical tale of a schoolboy rebellion was banned in its native France for 12 years following its initial 1933 release (for supposed anti-French sentiment). Perhaps the French authorities were remembering director Jean Vigo's father, a famous French anarchist who died in prison, or just concerned that Vigo was revealing too much of his own unhappy youth spent in boarding schools. They needn't have worried. Read more

Features

• Black & White
• NTSC

Reviews (5)

"Do you want a zero in conduct?"
French director Jean Vigo made only two feature length films (and two short films) before dying at the age 29. "L'Atalante" is an much acclaimed film--but "Zero de Conduite" has fallen into obscurity. Upon its release, "Zero de Conduite"--a short tale of schoolboy rebellion--was banned in France. Perhaps it was judged too subversive--Vigo's father Eugene Bonaventure de Vigo (AKA Miguel Almareyda) was a prominent anarchist who was murdered in jail.
A film that broke the walls of the possible!
Based on Vigo 's personal childhood experiences, this admirable, beloved and poetic work constitutes a superb and precise outlaw portrait of a boarding school. Vigo creates a claustrophobic world filled of tension in which the petty tyrannies of the school regime stand in sharp relief against the natural fantasy and tender delirium of the children. There is a lot of psychological insights, this landmark was banned in France until 1946.
Beautiful, surreal view of the life of young children
Jean Vigo excels in presenting life as a sort of surreal dream, with bits of humanity scattered throughout. In 'Zero In Conduct', it seems he finallygets to live out a fantasy of childhood rebellion, probably one in whichmany have shared. There are many beautiful and innovative shots, includingthe gorgeous slow-motion march through the falling feathers. It occurred tome that Francois Truffaut may have seen this film before he made 'The 400Blows'. Highly recommended for fans of 'L'Atalante', however the'International Film Series' version sold here at Amazon is a verylow-quality print, so be careful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art House & International    2. Classics    3. Drama    4. Foreign Film - French    5. International   

Editorial Review

The story is so simple, it hardly exists: a young girl marries a mate aboard a river barge named Read more

Features

• Black & White
• Original recording remastered
• Subtitled
• NTSC

Reviews (21)

This is what romance is.
Others have talked at length about the technical beauty of this film.It is indeed very well-done, but what I enjoyed the most was its wonderful evocation of married love.I've never seen a film that showed so well what it's like to be a newly-wed.The couple are obviously seriously in love, but both are naive and discovering what it is like to live together, and making mistakes, the way you do in those first years.It's wonderful to see a film that celebrates this.So many films are about highly dysfunctional relationships nowadays.This film celebrates the normal--not the perfect, but the normal--in a way that is charming and enjoyable.If you are happily married (22 years in my case), it can really send you down memory lane.
Pure, mystical and unforgettable

Gritty young love in Great Depression era France
If you want to know how stupid, raw, sexist, naive, passionate, jealous and accepting two young french newlyweds can be - this is the film for you. Juliette and Jean are a young working class couple who embark on a difficult life on a canal barge called L'Atalante. The best characterization in the film is by Juliette, an utterly charming and lovely young, blond frenchwoman who, with great aplomb takes up married life with a brute of a husband, the captain of L'Atalante. The plot has been spelled out elsewhere, so I won't go into that. Suffice to say the eternal formula of enchantment, betrayal, suffering and reconciliation is in evidence.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign    2. Foreign Film - French    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

The story is so simple, it hardly exists: a young girl marries a mate aboard a river barge named Read more

Features

• Black & White
• Subtitled
• NTSC

Reviews (21)

This is what romance is.
Others have talked at length about the technical beauty of this film.It is indeed very well-done, but what I enjoyed the most was its wonderful evocation of married love.I've never seen a film that showed so well what it's like to be a newly-wed.The couple are obviously seriously in love, but both are naive and discovering what it is like to live together, and making mistakes, the way you do in those first years.It's wonderful to see a film that celebrates this.So many films are about highly dysfunctional relationships nowadays.This film celebrates the normal--not the perfect, but the normal--in a way that is charming and enjoyable.If you are happily married (22 years in my case), it can really send you down memory lane.
Pure, mystical and unforgettable

Gritty young love in Great Depression era France
If you want to know how stupid, raw, sexist, naive, passionate, jealous and accepting two young french newlyweds can be - this is the film for you. Juliette and Jean are a young working class couple who embark on a difficult life on a canal barge called L'Atalante. The best characterization in the film is by Juliette, an utterly charming and lovely young, blond frenchwoman who, with great aplomb takes up married life with a brute of a husband, the captain of L'Atalante. The plot has been spelled out elsewhere, so I won't go into that. Suffice to say the eternal formula of enchantment, betrayal, suffering and reconciliation is in evidence.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Drama    3. Foreign Film - French    4. International    5. Love   

Editorial Review

It's hard to believe that this fantastical tale of a schoolboy rebellion was banned in its native France for 12 years following its initial 1933 release (for supposed anti-French sentiment). Perhaps the French authorities were remembering director Jean Vigo's father, a famous French anarchist who died in prison, or just concerned that Vigo was revealing too much of his own unhappy youth spent in boarding schools. They needn't have worried. Read more

Features

• Black & White
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered
• NTSC

Reviews (5)

"Do you want a zero in conduct?"
French director Jean Vigo made only two feature length films (and two short films) before dying at the age 29. "L'Atalante" is an much acclaimed film--but "Zero de Conduite" has fallen into obscurity. Upon its release, "Zero de Conduite"--a short tale of schoolboy rebellion--was banned in France. Perhaps it was judged too subversive--Vigo's father Eugene Bonaventure de Vigo (AKA Miguel Almareyda) was a prominent anarchist who was murdered in jail.
A film that broke the walls of the possible!
Based on Vigo 's personal childhood experiences, this admirable, beloved and poetic work constitutes a superb and precise outlaw portrait of a boarding school. Vigo creates a claustrophobic world filled of tension in which the petty tyrannies of the school regime stand in sharp relief against the natural fantasy and tender delirium of the children. There is a lot of psychological insights, this landmark was banned in France until 1946.
Beautiful, surreal view of the life of young children
Jean Vigo excels in presenting life as a sort of surreal dream, with bits of humanity scattered throughout. In 'Zero In Conduct', it seems he finallygets to live out a fantasy of childhood rebellion, probably one in whichmany have shared. There are many beautiful and innovative shots, includingthe gorgeous slow-motion march through the falling feathers. It occurred tome that Francois Truffaut may have seen this film before he made 'The 400Blows'. Highly recommended for fans of 'L'Atalante', however the'International Film Series' version sold here at Amazon is a verylow-quality print, so be careful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Foreign Film - French    3. International    4. Movie