Misplaced Pages

The Childhood of a Leader (film)

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
2015 film by Brady Corbet

The Childhood of a Leader
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBrady Corbet
Screenplay byBrady Corbet
Mona Fastvold
Based onThe Childhood of a Leader
by Jean-Paul Sartre
Produced byAntoine de Clermont-Tonnerre
Chris Coen
Brady Corbet
Ron Curtis
Helena Danielsson
Mona Fastvold
István Major
StarringBérénice Bejo
Liam Cunningham
Stacy Martin
Robert Pattinson
Tom Sweet
CinematographyLol Crawley
Edited byDávid Jancsó
Music byScott Walker
Production
companies
  • Bow and Arrow Entertainment
  • FilmTeam
  • Hepp Film
  • Media House Capital
  • MACT Productions
  • Unanimous Entertainment
  • Scope Pictures
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 5 September 2015 (2015-09-05) (Venice)
  • 22 July 2016 (2016-07-22) (United States)
  • 19 August 2016 (2016-08-19) (United Kingdom)
Running time116 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Hungary
  • Sweden
  • France
  • Canada
  • Belgium
Languages
  • English
  • French
Budget$5 million
Box office$245,546

The Childhood of a Leader is a 2015 historical drama film, co-written, co-produced and directed by Brady Corbet, in his feature film directorial debut. It is loosely based on Jean-Paul Sartre's short story of the same name, published in 1939 in a collection entitled The Wall. Corbet co-wrote the screenplay with his wife Mona Fastvold.

The film is a co-production between the United States, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Sweden, France, Canada and Belgium, and chronicles the childhood of a fascist leader in the period immediately following World War I. Production began in early 2015, in Budapest, (Hungary). The film had its world premiere in competition in the Horizon section at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2015, and won two awards at the festival, Best Debut film and Best Director.

Plot

In 1919, an American boy has temporarily retreated to the French countryside with his father, an American diplomat who is there to help negotiate the Treaty of Versailles, and his mother, who is German born. After rehearsing for a church pageant the boy throws rocks at the other children and their parents and then runs into the woods. When he returns he sees his father who has been drinking with family friend Charles Marker. The boy is forced to apologize to the townspeople and though he is unrepentant he is forgiven.

Though his mother is fluent in French the boy has been forbidden from speaking anything but English with his mother. As they are living in France however, the mother is permitted to hire a tutor, Ada, to teach the boy French. The boy later sees Ada alone with his father, which his father claims was because he was paying her. Afterwards, during one of their lessons the boy grabs Ada's breast. Though she is upset by the encounter Ada does not mention it to his mother.

The father, along with several trusted aides, spends some time in secret meetings at the house, no longer having faith in the negotiations. One of the aides, seeing the boy, mistakes him for a girl, which causes him to strip off his clothes and lock himself in his room for several days. His mother intends to starve him out but he is secretly fed by Mona, the housekeeper. When the mother discovers this she fires Mona. Mona vows to destroy the mother and her family.

The boy spends several days locked in his room learning French. Afterwards he recites a text in front of his mother and Ada and then asks his mother to dismiss Ada so he can continue his studies alone. The father returns to find the mother with Charles Marker. Upon seeing that his son is still disrobed he promises to lash him which results in a physical altercation in which he injures the boy's arm.

In celebration of the signed treaty, the family throws a dinner party for some close intimates. During the dinner the father asks the mother to lead the group in prayer; she in turn asks the boy to do so. Instead he announces that he doesn't believe in prayer anymore. When the mother tries to take him to his room he strikes her several times in the temple with a rock. When the father attempts to apprehend him, the boy runs off revealing that he was faking his arm injury. In the process of running he trips and injures himself. He is approached by Charles Marker reassuring him that he is alright.

Several decades later the boy, Prescott, is now an adult and the military leader of an authoritarian state. Crowds of adoring fans greet him. He has grown to look like his biological father, Charles Marker.

Cast

Production

"The film takes place in 1919, it stars a child, it's in French and English. Luckily it's not going to be four-and-a-half hours long and it's not going to be black-and-white. But that's it. It's not a very easy pitch. It's sort of about the birth of a megalomaniac and with a maniacal sort of ego at the turn of the century. It's about the birth of fascism that occurred during the signing of the Treaty of Versailles."

—Brady Corbet, director of The Childhood of a Leader, on the film.

Development

Brady Corbet began writing the script of the film ten years before on his own but later put it down as he considered it "too big" for a debut film. He later picked it up again after support from his partner Mona Fastvold. On 1 April 2013, it was announced that Corbet was set to make his feature film directorial debut with a France-set World War I film, based on the script he co-wrote with Mona Fastvold. Corbet would produce along with French producers Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre and Chris Coen, as well as Istvan Major. Film Producer Helena Danielsson of Hepp Film also came on board to get the film additional financing.

In 2015, Corbet said that the script of the film was inspired by Robert Bresson's Mouchette, Maurice Pialat's Under the Sun of Satan, Ermanno Olmi's The Tree of Wooden Clogs, Carl Theodor Dreyer's Day of Wrath and Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon.

Casting

On 10 December 2013, it was announced that Juliette Binoche, Tim Roth and Robert Pattinson had joined the cast of the film. In August 2014, it was announced that both Binoche and Roth had left the project. Roth dropped due to scheduling conflict while Binoche cited the reason that it was "too dark". The same month Binoche and Roth were replaced by Bérénice Bejo and Liam Cunningham.

Corbet talking about the casting and characters in the film said that

I have intentionally not revealed the identity of (the boy who will become leader) character. And it's a funny thing because it's not for the reasons that people think. One thing I will happily tell everybody is that the character is not Hitler . And the character is not Mussolini. It's someone else. And there's the dramatic event where you learn who this person is and that's something I want to save for people. Robert Pattinson is not playing Hitler as you now know . I'll go on the record saying that.

Corbet held auditions for the casting of the role of Prescott, describing it as "(we) held simple auditions (one page of text) for the boys reading for the main role. Des Hamilton and his great team found Tom Sweet and brought him in. Tom was everything we had envisioned and more. He is the film’s greatest triumph."

Pre-production

Production was originally slated to start from November 2014 but later moved to January 2015. Pattinson describing the film said that "It's about the youth of a future dictator in the Thirties, like an amalgamation of Hitler, Mussolini and some others." Bejo talking about her character in the film said that "(I'm playing) the character of a mother whose son is very particular, a little awkward and weird. Over the scenes you're realizing that it is not a normal guy, he'll become a monster or something. And it is about the relationship with the mother and father."

Filming

Principal photography began from 30 January 2015 in Budapest and continued till 1 March 2015. On 3 February 2015, filming took place at Buda Castle and Hungarian National Gallery.

Music

Main article: The Childhood of a Leader (soundtrack)

Singer-songwriter, composer and record producer Scott Walker composed the score of the film. The soundtrack album was released by 4AD on 19 August 2016. The Film served as closing film at 2016 International Film Festival Rotterdam, where the score of the film was performed live during the screening of the film.

Promotion and marketing

On 13 February 2015, Producer Chris Coen released the first image featuring Robert Pattinson, Bérénice Bejo and Liam Cunningham in their costumes. Another still featuring Pattinson, Bejo and Cunningham was released on 8 April 2015. Exclusive footage from the film screened at Marché du Film of 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Two clips from the film were released on 4 September 2015. On 25 October 2015, it was screened at Jacob Burns Film Center.

Release

The film released in the US on 22 July 2016, in theatres and on VOD simultaneously by IFC Films. Originally it was to be released by Metrodome Distribution in UK but few days before its release the company filed for bankruptcy, after which Soda Pictures released it in UK on 19 August 2016.

Reception

The film received positive reviews from critics, with emphasis on Corbet's screenplay and direction, the performances of the cast, Scott Walker's music and Lol Crawley's cinematography. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 90% of 66 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.40/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Childhood of a Leader mirrors the rise of fascism in post-WWI Europe with a well-acted, confidently crafted look at one young man's unsettling coming of age." Metacritic gives the film a score of 68 based on reviews from 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

David Ehrlich in his review for Indiewire said, "With his unusually accomplished directorial debut, Corbet delivers a strange and startling film that reflects the unique trajectory of his career, as well as the influence of the iconoclastic directors with whom he's already worked." Lee Marshall of Screen International wrote a positive review for the film, saying, "The Childhood of a Leader is as relentlessly sombre and compelling as the film’s remarkable, full-volume orchestral soundtrack" and compared it with Michael Haneke's work, saying, "though it shares something of Haneke's dispassionate view of human nature, The Childhood of a Leader is in no way derivative. Dominated by dread, veering into art horror at points, this compulsively dark story takes no prisoners." Tommaso Tocci of The Film Stage called it "a huge psychological and tonal balancing act that could crumble at each turn, and yet never does." Guy Lodge of Variety called it "a overweening, maddening but not inconsiderable directorial debut for actor Brady Corbet, which plays as something of a straight-faced parody of a well-upholstered historical biopic." In his review for Eye For Film, Damon Wise said, "It sounds like a slow-paced chamber piece, and some scenes are, but a brilliant framing device involving a stunning orchestral score by, of all people, Scott Walker gives the film a nerve-wracking urgency." John Bleasdale of Cine Vu gave it five out five stars by saying that "(it) is a dark, enigmatic piece of work that hovers between visionary greatness and petty domestic triviality. Corbet's inaugural stint behind the camera marks a stunning debut and the finest film at Venice thus far."

In contrast, Deborah Young in her review for The Hollywood Reporter said, "There is actually a lot of imagination at work in the film, though frustratingly it rarely comes together in an emotionally meaningful way."

Accolades

Year Group/Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
2015 Venice International Film Festival Horizons (Orizzonti) – Best Film Brady Corbet Nominated
Lion of the Future – Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film Won
Horizons (Orizzonti) – Best Director Won
2015 Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival TAP Revelation Award – Best Film Nominated
TAP Revelation Award – Best Director Won
2016 American Society of Cinematographers Spotlight Award Nominated
2016 Filmfest München CineVision Award - Best Film By An Emerging Director Nominated
2016 Gothenburg Film Festival International Debut Award Nominated
2016 International Istanbul Film Festival Golden Tulip - International Competition Nominated
Golden Tulip Special Jury Prize - International Competition Won
2016 Sydney Film Festival Best Film Nominated
2017 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature Brady Corbet, Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chris Coen, Ron Curtis, Helena Danielsson, Mona Fastvold and István Major Nominated
Best Cinematography Lol Crawley Nominated

References

  1. ^ "The Childhood of a Leader". British Council Film. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  2. ^ "'The Childhood Of A Leader' Review: Brady Corbet's Directorial Debut Is An Enthralling Mind-F*ck". IndieWire. 14 June 2016. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  3. "The Childhood Of A Leader". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  4. ^ Lodge, Guy (7 September 2015). "Venice Film Review: 'The Childhood of a Leader'". Variety. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Stacy Martin joins Childhood of a Leader". Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  6. "The Childhood of a Leader". Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  7. "100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2015 Brady Corbet's The Childhood of a Leader". 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Robert Pattinson to Co-Star in 'The Childhood of a Leader' (EXCLUSIVE)". 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  9. "Robert Pattinson Going To War For The Childhood Of A Leader". 11 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  10. "No Longer Funny Games Foes; Corbet Set to Direct Tim Roth, Cosmopolis' Binoche & Pattinson Pair in "The Childhood of a Leader"". Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  11. "Brady Corbet in Paradise". theaesthete.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  12. Prot, Bénédicte (8 September 2015). "The Childhood of a Leader: the origin of totalitarianism explained to children". Cineuropa.
  13. ^ "'The Sleepwalker' Writers on Balancing Filmmaking with Baby-Making". 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  14. "Hot projects on Screenbase". Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Venice Fest Reveals Robust Lineup Featuring Hollywood Stars and International Auteurs". Variety. 29 July 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  16. ^ "Venice: Robert Pattinson-Starrer 'Childhood of a Leader' Wins Best Debut Film". The Hollywood Reporter. 12 September 2015. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  17. ^ "David Gordon Green's 'Crisis,' Bérénice Bejo Joins 'Childhood,' and More". 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  18. ^ "Weinstein Acquires 'The Eichmann Show'; 'Childhood Of A Leader' Adds Cast; More Berlin Briefs". Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  19. ^ "Q & A: Director Brady Corbet Talks About His 'Childhood'". 18 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  20. ^ Zakarin, Jordan (1 April 2013). "'Martha Marcy' Star Brady Corbet to Direct French Period Film as Feature Debut (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  21. "Cunningham, Moreau join Bejo, Pattinson drama". Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  22. ^ Gillberg, Jonas (8 April 2015). "Malmöproducent gör film om Versaillesfreden med Robert Pattinson" [Malmö producer makes film about the Treaty of Versailles with Robert Pattinson]. Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  23. "5 FILMS THAT INFLUENCED 'THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER'". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  24. "JULIETTE BINOCHE: 50 YEARS OF EMOTIONS". 21 July 2014. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  25. "Global Impact Competition 2015 – orientation meeting and introductory workshop". Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  26. "Berenice Bejo Joins Robert Pattinson Drama 'The Childhood of a Leader' (EXCLUSIVE)". 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  27. "Robert Pattinson: Exclusive Interview For Esquire September Issue". Esquire. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  28. "Bérénice Bejo: "Desde muy chiquita pensé que iba a ser actriz"". 6 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  29. "'Nymphomaniac' star joins Robert Pattinson in 'The Childhood of a Leader'". Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  30. "Its a wrap!". Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  31. "PHOTO: The Childhood of a Leader is in production in Budapest!". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  32. "Day 1 in Budapest". Facebook. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  33. "'Nymphomaniac' Star Stacy Martin Joins 'Childhood Of A Leader' With Robert Pattinson, Scott Walker To Score". 13 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  34. "'The Childhood of a Leader' Soundtrack Announced". Archived from the original on 26 June 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  35. "Brady Corbet's 'The Childhood of a Leader' to Close IFFR 2016". Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  36. "Filme com Robert Pattinson e Bérénice Bejo ganha foto". Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  37. "FIRST PHOTO: 'Childhood of a Leader' Cast as Characters!". Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  38. "CANNES2015". Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  39. "Venice: First 2 Clips From 'Childhood Of A Leader' Starring Bérénice Bejo, Stacy Martin, Robert Pattinson & More". Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  40. Andreas Wiseman. "Brady Corbet's 'Childhood Of A Leader' secures UK deal". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  41. "Berenice Bejo's 'Childhood of a Leader' Finds New U.K. Home After Metrodome Crash". Variety. 19 August 2016. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  42. "'Childhood Of A Leader' (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  43. "'Childhood Of A Leader': Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  44. "'Childhood Of A Leader': Review". Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  45. "The Childhood of a Leader Venice 2015 Review". 5 September 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  46. "Venice 2015: The state of independents". Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  47. "Venice 2015: 'The Childhood of a Leader'". Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  48. "'The Childhood of a Leader': Venice Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 4 September 2015. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  49. ^ "Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival Awards". Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  50. "'Arrival,' 'Lion' Among American Society of Cinematographers Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  51. "Munich Film Festival Spotlights Best of German, World Cinema". 20 June 2016. Archived from the original on 21 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  52. "The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award 2016". Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  53. ^ "35TH ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  54. ^ "'Dust Cloth' chosen Best Film at Istanbul Film Festival". 17 April 2016. Archived from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  55. "The Childhood of a Leader Movie Review (Sydney Film Festival)". 15 June 2016. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  56. ^ "Independent Spirit Awards: 'Moonlight,' 'American Honey' Score Leading 6 Nominations Each". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016.

External links

Films directed by Brady Corbet
Categories: