Film Review: Forbidden Games (Jeux interdits, 1952)
The most unsettling films do not necessarily belong to the horror genre; instead, they can be found in seemingly ordinary and trivial events captured by regular dramas. One such film that exemplifies this notion is Forbidden Games, a 1952 masterpiece directed by René Clément, now regarded as one of the classics of post-World War II French cinema.
Like many of Clément's most acclaimed films, Forbidden Games tackles Second World War. The plot is adapted from François Boyer's eponymous 1947 novel and commences in June 1940 during the Battle of France. As masses of French civilians desperately attempt to flee advancing German armies, their columns become easy targets for Luftwaffe bombers and strafing fighter planes. In one of those raids, a 5-year-old girl named Paulette (played by Brigitte Fossey) loses her father, mother, and beloved dog. While aimlessly wandering through the countryside, she encounters Michel Dollé (played by Georges Poujouly), a 10-year-old boy who invites her to stay on his family's farm. The two children quickly form an intense bond as they navigate their new reality together, developing a peculiar ritual that helps them cope with death and war-related deprivations. This strange rite involves burying their pets and other animals in an abandoned, which Michel steals crosses to mark the graves of these fallen creatures. Unbeknownst to them, this activity inadvertently fuels an escalating feud between Michel's family and their neighboring counterparts, the Gouards.
Despite being hailed as a classic of French cinema, Forbidden Games was initially rejected in its native country. The original novel was envisioned by Boyer as a film script but was rejected by studios. Only after being rewritten as a novel did it find success, albeit in the United States rather than France. This initial rejection might be attributed to the French still struggling to come to terms with their worst trauma of the 20th century or, more profoundly, by the disturbing treatment of war through the perspective of innocent children.
The film's protagonist, played by 6-year-old Brigitte Fossey, portrays a character who simply does not comprehend basic concepts like death. Despite being exposed to loss and horrific sights around her, she rarely cries, until she forms a connection with Michel, brilliantly portrayed by Georges Poujouly. Through their "game," the children develop a coping mechanism that, though innocent in nature, appears increasingly dark and disturbing from an adult perspective. This ultimately becomes an exercise in animal abuse with potential to escalate into something even more sinister and homicidal – a path many modern film makers would undoubtedly take.
The film's rejection in France can also be attributed to its depiction of rural France, which may not have been flattering at the time. The Dollés family is portrayed as poor and "unsophisticated," possibly ignorant and illiterate, and as alien to the modern world of urban France as Paulette is alien to the world of adults.
René Clément directed his film in an effective, but not particularly innovative style reminiscent of Italian neorealism. The black-and-white cinematography by Robert Juillard makes the film appear somewhat dated for today's audience, while the opening scene – which mixes fictional carnage on the road with documentary stock footage of German bombers – also contributes to this dated quality. However, "Romance Anónimo," a popular Spanish guitar music piece interpreted by Ignacio Yepes, provides a melancholic but effective commentary to the grim subject matter depicted in the film.
Forbidden Games is far from perfect, yet it nevertheless deserves its status as a classic. Its themes of hidden horrors and the devastating impact of war on innocent lives remain increasingly relevant in our ever-more troubled world.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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