The Two of Us

The Two of Us (1967)

Genres - Comedy, Drama, War  |   Sub-Genres - Childhood Drama, Odd Couple Film, Period Film  |   Release Date - Feb 17, 1968 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 86 min.  |   Countries - France  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

Having been forced into minor parts for several years by a debilitating illness, veteran film actor Michel Simon made a triumphant return to leading roles in the charming, poignant The Two of Us (Le Vieil Homme et L'Enfant). Simon plays a likeable old soak with one significant character flaw: he is a flagrant anti-Semite. During the Nazi occupation of Paris, 8-year-old Jewish lad Alain Cohen is sent to the country, there to live with the parents of his family's Catholic friends. One of those parents is, inevitably, Simon. Taking a liking to Alain, and unaware that the boy is Jewish, Simon attempts to introduce the lad to the doctrine of anti-Semitism. The boy plays along with the old man, teasing him about his prejudices. Despite their obvious philosophical differences, Simon and Alain form a strong and affectionate bond. Director Claude Berri, whose films have often touched upon the Jewish experience in France, once more draws from his own experiences to weave a sensitive, seriocomic scenario.

Characteristics

Moods

Keywords

anti-Semitism, boy, Civil-Rights, cross-cultural-relations, dog, family, generation-gap, grandfather, prejudice, problems, relationship, religion, return, safety, war

Attributes

High Artistic Quality