The Fire That Burns (1997)

A richly textured drama based on the novel "The Land Whose King is a Child" (referring to Ecclesiastes 10:6 "Woe to the land whose king is a child) by prolific, French novelist and dramatist Henry de Montherlant. Whose king is a child) by prolific, French novelist and dramatist Henry de Montherlant. The story takes place before World War II in a Catholic boys' school in Paris, where the friendship between bright philosophy student Andre Sevrais (Nael Marandin) and his younger schoolmate Souplier (Clement van den Bergh of Class Trip) arouses the jealousy of the Abbot de Pradts (Christophe Malavoy), who is secretly in the thrall of young Souplier. De Pradts lays a trap for Sevrais but ends up crushed by his own machinations to the utter disdain of the Father Superior (Michel Aumont of The Closet and Man is a Woman).

Defining Love

"The Fire That Burns"

Defining Love

Amos Lassen

"The Fire That Burns" (Picture This Entertainment) takes place in a Catholic boys' school in Paris before World War II. A friendship between a bright philosophy student, Andre Sevrais (Nael Maradin) and a younger schoolmate, Souplier (Clement van den Bergh) brings on jealousy of the Abbot de Pradts (Christophe Malavoy) who secretly lusts after Souplier. The Abbot lays a trap for Andre but ends up ruined by his own machinations to the dismay of the Father Superior.
This is a romantic movie in every sense of the word as it displays human affection in the purest way and uses no nudity or profanity.
The Abbot is a handsome, sensitive priest and he has taken young Souplier under his wing and the boy thrives on the attention he receives. However his interests are on another student, Andre with whom he skips class to explore his feelings for him. The two boys are involved in a beautiful and pure love affair. The Abbot is very jealous and finds a way to remove Andre from the school. The result of this is the conclusion of the film so you will have to wait and see. When the Father Superior realizes what is going on we see the difference between sacred and profane love.
The acting is wonderful and the film is a philosophical, intellectual, sophisticated look at love. The confrontation between the two priests will really get you thinking about love of G-d and love between humans. This is quite a strong film and the taboo subject of love between boys is splashed across the screen and we see the power of sacrificial love.
July 31, 2008

Sophisticated

This film is about a French play set around the late 30's in all boys Catholic school. It deals basically with what I think three levels of love: the innocent love between two very young boys, the fatherly love of one of the school priest for the youngest boy, and the love of God between that priest and his superior.

This is a very sophisticated, intellectual, philosophical story with superb acting very much model to what would be a theater drama play. Even though there are hints of the love between the boys to be of a homosexual nature, I am just not sure that boys that young are capable of understanding the whole concept of love.

The story revolves around three main characters: Sevrais, the oldest boy, Souplier, the youngest kid, and L'Abbe de Pradts, the priest. Sevrais is in love with Souplier. Souplier reciprocates to a certain extent as there is a brief kissing scene between the two of them. But he stills acts like the spoiled brat, where he takes the attitude, I take it or leave it. On the other hand Sevrais is the more matured lover. L'Abbe de Pradts has taken a primary interest to look after Souplier, crossing some boundaries between being a teacher and his student. Even though to me the priest comes out as rather spooky and to forthcoming in his relationship with Souplier, I think the plays intention is just merely to demonstrate a level of love, the fatherly love of this man for a misguided, and troubled boy.

Sevrais and Souplier are caught in the school storeroom by the Abbe, causing Sevrais to be expelled. There is a tender scene between the boys which you find in couples very much in love. The Abbe relish Sevrais' misery because there may be some type of jealousy in which he can not stand anyone coming between him and Souplier.

Father Superior, the other character, stays behind the scenes pretty much the entire movie, watching the Abbe and his interaction with the two boys. He realizes that there is more than meets the eye, and puts an end to all of this, by expelling the other boy, Souplier. The destruction of the Abbe toward Sevrais is pretty much done in reverse by the Superior vanishing his love.

There is a final confrontation between the Abbe and Father Superior, in which there is a very metaphysical and philosophical discussion of God's love and humans.

This is a heavy duty, strong movie. The actors are all good. If you like movies with a very intellectual theme, this story is for you. There are a couple of interviews on the special features with a much older Sevrais (still very handsome) plus Father Superior. March 19, 2008

Please pay attention

"Pay attention", That could pass for what a teacher says to the class or what is being broadcast to the world at large.

The subtext for this movie is: "Some kids should be left the hell alone".

Two boarding school boys evolve in a loving relationship. It does not go unnoticed by a predatory priest. Persecution follows, all the while the boys continue their contact, friendship, and warmth.

The age difference between the two boys may upset some people who are shocked at the very idea of their relationship, let alone a priest who insinuates himself between them. Don't these priests have a life?

Attending a catholic school from grades 1 to 12 I learned to hide my affections for fellow students. This was taken as non-attachment to be remedied by the spiritual and physical ministrations of priests.
This movie nails it. No matter what critics may say, I say "You haven't been there, so shut up."

My only sad regret is that I did not battle them, but in retrospect, I had no power. January 6, 2007

Good But, Not Fulfilling

I will not go into what this movie is about. I did not read a book....yet, so I can't realy compare it to the movie. However, after viewing The Fire That Burns, I was left with a feeling that something was missing or the movie was too plain. As if, all scenes (except two last ones) were shorter than they could've been--typical French movie. For example there was only one brief intimate scene, and I feel like there could have been more. Yet overall, the movie was done well and plot made perfect sense. I enjoyed it. Let's now hope for the Canadian, modern, remake. I doubt Hollywood will have the balls to pick this story up. January 19, 2005

What is Love?

Ah, les Francais! Only they could make such a sensitive film about the love between two boys, and without sex, nudity or (believe it or not) profanity!
This is a real romance in the noblest sense. It never descends to lesser things than a pure expression of human affection and its relationship to the sacred - the theme of the movie.
It is Sevrais, the handsome, doe-eyed, love-smitten 15 year old played with heart-crushing feeling by Nael Marandin that energizes this film till its dark ending. His overpowering love for young Souplier transports one to a new level of experience of the profoundly transforming power of friendship, last seen in the 1963 French film 'This Special Friendship' (Les Amities Particulieres), an almost identical story.
Sevrais' love for Souplier never falters from his first scene when he is searching the school grounds for Souplier. Upon seeing him his face beams with rapture as it does later in the scene in the gym when he is transfixed by Souplier's entrance. And you feel again how hopelessly Sevrais is smitten when one night instead of going home, he stands under the choir room window in the cold darkness just to hear Souplier's voice. This is no ordinary love story!
The most moving moment occurs in the cave when Sevrais and Souplier embrace which lends power to the rest of the movie's soaring theme.
There are two tangled stories in this film. The jealous and manipulating priest, Abbot de Pradts, and his seeming fatherly affection for Souplier and enmity towards his rival Sevrais; and that between the two boys. In the long marvelously scripted final scene between de Pradts and the Father Superior, the tables are turned and the question of what is profane and what is sacred love is addressed in a powerful exchange.
As for Sevrais and Souplier - well, it couldn't end like this! (I have ordered the book in French in hopes of finding a happier ending.) Shattered, Sevrais leaves the school in shock, broken, empty, tear stained, a shadow of his former impeccable self, dying the slow death of separation from Souplier, the light of his life.
This is a gem of a film. The taboo subject of love between two boys is opened an we see that it can rise suspened between the sacred and the profane, pulling us into Sevrais' world where we can feel the power of sacrificial love. (Didn't He say: "No greater love hath man than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend"?)
Five stars for this film? How about the whole Milky Way!
Vive les amities particulieres! Vive les Francais! November 25, 2004

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