Overview
A poignant tale of friendship and sacrifice during a dark chapter of history.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- sincere
- foreboding
- melancholic
- historical film night
- arthouse cinema evening
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Louis Malle’s autobiographical wartime drama as a beautifully realized, emotionally devastating portrait of friendship and youth under Nazi persecution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Julien moves from friction with Jean to protecting and empathizing with him after learning that Jean is Jewish and being hidden from the Nazis.
The boarding school’s lessons, rivalries, meals, and friendships frame the surrounding Nazi persecution through Julien’s perspective.
Catholic priests hide Jewish children while the Gestapo investigates the school and black-market activity exposes its vulnerability.
The film contrasts confined classrooms, dormitories, and school grounds with the looming arrival of the Gestapo.
Films like Au Revoir les Enfants, and why
The Diary of Anne Frank
shared wartime childhood perspective, historical trauma, and intimate coming of age drama
The Pianist
shared world war ii setting, moral courage, persecution, and restrained historical drama
Empire of the Sun
shared child-centered wartime perspective, innocence confronting fascism, and devastating emotional restraint
The Last Metro
shared french historical setting, childhood friendship, and bittersweet remembrance of wartime loss
Movie Details
- Director
- Louis Malle
- Release Date
- 1987-10-07
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (755)
Cast
- Gaspard Manesse
- Raphael Fejtö
- Francine Racette
- Stanislas Carré de Malberg
- Philippe Morier-Genoud
- François Berléand
- François Négret
- Peter Fitz
- Pascal Rivet
- Richard Leboeuf
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Au Revoir les Enfants about?
- At a secluded French boarding school in 1944, a boy’s friendship with a Jewish classmate becomes an unforgettable test of loyalty amid Nazi persecution.
- What is Au Revoir les Enfants like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Au Revoir les Enfants as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Au Revoir les Enfants violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Au Revoir les Enfants as mild.
- What did critics think of Au Revoir les Enfants?
- Critics broadly regard Louis Malle’s autobiographical wartime drama as a beautifully realized, emotionally devastating portrait of friendship and youth under Nazi persecution.
- Which films are like Au Revoir les Enfants?
- Films with a similar feel include The Diary of Anne Frank, The Pianist, Empire of the Sun, and The Last Metro.
- How long is Au Revoir les Enfants?
- Au Revoir les Enfants runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Au Revoir les Enfants?
- In United States, Au Revoir les Enfants streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
