Set in an inner city middle school in Paris, “The Class” follows the everyday lives of French teacher François Marin (François Bégaudea) and his less than cooperative students. From the very beginning of the school year, the majority of the students in Mr. Marin’s classroom are disruptive and resist doing any work. He pushes along and tries his best to spark their interest, but they often waste time asking a barrage of off-topic questions or arguing when called upon.
As the school year progresses, several students isolate themselves from the rest of the class with their bad behavior. Khoumba (Rachel Régulier) thinks that Mr. Marin is out to get her and refuses to cooperate with him in class — often lashing out at him when asked to do a simple task like read. Her situation seems to better as the weeks go on, though, while her fellow classmate Souleymane (Franck Keïta) flirts with disaster. Already having anger and attitude problems, Souleymane finally crosses the line — leaving Mr. Marin and the rest of the staff in a tough situation.
“The Class” is truly a unique cinematic experience. The entire film takes place on the school grounds and most of the time in one classroom — yet you never find yourself begging for a change of scenery.
The students are made up of nonprofessional actors who at times relied on improv. The choice of casting the film this way was a big risk, but one that paid off. The students seem to have a real connection with one another and come off as being genuine. The atmosphere feels almost documentary-like, making it seem like you are viewing the lives of real people instead of actors.
François Bégaudea not only wrote the script, but also stars in the semi-autographical film. He does a superb job as the mild-mannered teacher and was probably the only one who could portray the character the way the script intended.
A marvelously written screenplay comes together on the big screen as a thought-provoking tale of insolence and frustration. While it feels a bit long for its content, its fresh approach to filmmaking and its gripping characters make it a film worth seeking out.