Zero for Conduct (1933)

Genres - Fantasy  |   Sub-Genres - Childhood Drama, Coming-of-Age  |   Release Date - Jun 21, 1947 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 44 min.  |   Countries - France  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

The shortest of French filmmaker Jean Vigo's two feature-length films, Zero for Conduct (Zero de Conduite) is also arguably his most influential. The overtly autobiographical plotline takes place at a painfully strict boys' boarding school, presided over by such petit-bourgeous tyrants as a discipline-dispensing dwarf. The students revolt against the monotony of their daily routine by erupting into a outsized pillow fight. Their final assault occurs during a prim-and-proper school ceremony, wherein the headmasters are bombarded with fruit. Like all of Vigo's works, Zero for Conduct was greeted with outrage by the "right" people. Thanks to pressure from civic and educational groups, this exhilaratingly anarchistic film was banned from public exhibition until 1945. Among the future filmmakers influenced by Zero for Conduct was Lindsay Anderson, who unabashedly used the Vigo film as blueprint for his own anti-establishment exercise If....

Characteristics

Keywords

abuse, anarchy, boarding-school, childhood-adventures, coming-of-age, rebel, school, student, teacher

Attributes

High Artistic Quality, High Historical Importance