Au Revior Les Enfants Essay, Research Paper

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Au Revior Les Enfants

The movie Au Revior Les Enfants ,or Goodbye Children translated, has a lot of symbolism that applies to the film?s theme and subject in its title alone. The theme of childhood, innocence, and adulthood-growing up and the subject of the movie is seen in the title and throughout the entire film.

Childhood is portrayed throughout the film in many different ways. One obvious way is the games the children play on the stilts. It is ironic that the games they are playing have to do with war and fighting, the same things that are going on outside the gates of the monastery. During the movie you also see the innocence of childhood when the children trade different items for marbles and when Julian wets his bed. You also get to see the children start to grow up in a sense. The boys in the movie look at nude women, read books about romance and smoke cigarettes. These things show how the boys are growing up and about to enter adulthood but still are children and have a lot of growing up to do.

The symbolism in the title is seen though out the movie in many different aspects. Goodbye Children is seen when the children start to grow up, they are growing up and saying goodbye to their childhood, The title is also portrayed when when the children are taken away from the monastery and Julian waves goodbye to the rest of the children. Some other ways the title is also seen is when Father Jean is taken away and says goodbye to the children. You are left not knowing what is going to happen to them if this is just goodbye for now or goodbye forever until the narration lets you know. Then you are also saying goodbye to the children also.

The symbolism in the movie and in the title help show the theme and subject of the movie.The movie shows how the characters saying goodbye to the innocence of childhood and hello to the real world of adulthood. The fact that the children and Father Jean are taken away shows the movies title in the aspect that they are saying goodbye to the rest of the children. The movie has may other types of symbolism though out. These are just some ways the movie shows symbolism regarding its title.