Les Chorites

Les Chorites is a French musical and drama film that shows discipline, influence of teachers on students, and the transforming power of music. The movie deeply highlighted that Music is a way of binding people regardless of their age and status.

The story happened during the World War II France wherein many children were orphaned in the time of social reconstruction and recovery from the colonization. The movie starts with two men reminiscing their past while they were still students at Fond de L’Etang meaning “bottom of the pond” or “rock bottom” indicating to the viewers that it is a school for troubled boys, orphans, and whose family cannot sustain them. As they were looking through the class picture they remembered Mr. Clement Mathieu, a substitute for a recently resigned teacher.

The set continues with a flashback of Mr. Mathieu’s first day. He first met Old Maxence, the school’s caretaker, who was injured by a booby trap set by one of the boys. It was there then he realized that children in that place has no discipline.

The incident resulted to make Mr. Ranchin—the principal, calls the attention of all students. Because of the students’ reckless behavior, he decides to punish them. Mr. Mathieu, on his first day at school, found out the cruel method of discipline used by the principal called the “action-reaction”. In Isaac Newton’s third law of motion, it is said that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The “action-reaction” disciplinary method in the movie means for any harm or disorder committed by the students it will be followed by an equal measure of punishment and enforced order.

Mr. Mathieu’s first few weeks didn’t go well. The children’s lack of discipline and manner drained his entire being. Just as when he almost lost hope in controlling the students’ behaviors, he found a way to discipline the young boys.

Upon hearing them singing rude songs about him, He felt the need to established a choir in his class. He classified the boys voice type base on their voice lessons. And soon students began to get fond of singing music. Mr. Mathieu being a musician himself, was inspired by his students’ performance, he composed new songs for them every night writing it in his journals. Introducing music to his classes became a way to discipline the boys. It diverted their attention from doing other things that aren’t school related.

Months pass by, the choir had shown good impacts. The faculty became lesser strict towards their pupils. And the boys were enjoying their classes, they became more attentive and cooperative. But like all other stories, there is that one person who will always go against your plans. And It was Pierre Morhange for this case. Although he is a student with exemplary talent and capabilities, he refused to show it to others and disagree to his teachers’ ways.

One day, a transferee named Mondain came at Fond de L’Etang. A reckless student that no school can handle. It was him who brought destruction to the order Mr. Mathieu’s establish. The boys began to use music to mock the principal, Mr. Ranchin. As a result, he ordered the banishment of the choir and forcing Mr. Mathieu to never let them sing again.

Music was already taking place in the students’ hearts thus they find it hard to abandon and easily forget the choir that they have started, and alike all other unprohibited organizations, they took the choir underground, continuing it as a secret without any of the faculties’ knowledge. Pierre Morhange was then appointed by Mr. Mathieu as their feature soloist. It was said that the film occurred during the post-war France, taking the choir underground suggests and reminds the viewer’s the efforts of the resistance in the country during the World War II.

Mondain being a bully for the past months was sent back to his old school for stealing money and important things from the faculty. Little do they know, Mondain wasn’t the culprit. After Mondain left the campus. Mr. Matthieu find out that Corbin, another student, stole the money in order for him to buy hot air balloon because he wanted to purchase it ever since. The hot air balloon may symbolize Corbin’s desire for freedom or to escape from his reality. Mr. Mathieu pitied the boy Mondain considering he has been treated unjustly and faced several punishments only to find that he wasn’t the one stealing.

During Summer, The Choir was granted a performance for the Countess to hear. She was deeply impressed by the boys’ talents especially to Pierre Morhange, an exeptional singer who delivered his part gracefully and solemnly. On that day, the principal took all the credits Mr. Mathieu was working. This kind of act shown by the principal can be related to the society nowadays wherein many people will take advantage of your work.

Meanwhile, Mondain escaped from his old school took revenge on the people in Fond De L’Etang. One afternoon, Mr. Mathieu observed the boys in his classes keeps on looking beyond the window. He indicates it that the children may have wanted to go and play outside for some time. Thus, on the same day he took the children out on a field class.

As a response to the cruelty Mondain received, he set the school on fire. Illustrating how violence begets violence and destroying the school further illustrating how injustice begets violence. The incident reached to the principal who was then having a conference with the Countess. Immediately, he flew back to the school. He was frightened and worried with the school’s situation luckily no one was harmed as the children were out on a field class at the Langdon’s Forest. Mondain was caught and held by the police. As Mr. Mathieu came back from their outing he saw Mondain nodding to him. The gesture could have mean that Mondain wanted to relay to Mr. Matthieu that in this world there is no justice.

Mr. Ranchin was truly disappointed by the incident, he dismissed Mr. Mathieu and forced him to resign. He viewed Mr. Matthieu as a failed musician and unemployed supervisor even before he was hired at the school. Only after he was fired he was able to assert himself saying the principal was wicker, insane and incompetent. He left the school without bidding farewell to his students. It is said he was to leave on Saturday.

As he looked at the school which he shared wonderful memories for one last time, paper planes flew out coming from the window, when he looked into it he found it contains letters of gratitude from his students for the lessons he imparted to them.

Moments later, as he was about to board on a bus on the highway. He was stopped by Pepinot, his favored orphan student. Mr. Matthieu always have a soft spot for Pepinot. He was the youngest of all the boys and his parents died during the war without him knowing. Every Saturday he waits for his parents to visit him thus the teachers always say on every Saturday that his parents will arrive on the next Saturday. On the morning of Saturday, Mr. Matthieu takes Pepinot with him aboard considering the boy has no relatives to raise him. The show ends with Mr. Mathieu and Pepinot leaving the school.

Lesson that we can get from the movie: " Music helps create an invisible connection with anyone who becomes involved with it."