I’m not
sure if the overture was supposed to be that earspiercingly shrill, or just
that the machinist was too old to hear the higher frequencies, but the beginning is way too loud for
comfort. Perhaps intentionally done, though: it’s not supposed to be comforting
as this is a film about a child who grows up to become a dictator.
I have a
hard time empathising with the main characters. Even Bérénice Bejo fails to
fill me with awe, and the only decent one around is the boy’s tutor.
An absent
father and a less than understanding mother surely shouldn’t be enough to turn
a child into a ruthless despot, and we definitely never find out how neglecting
the boy helps him become a competent, if albeit evil, leader.
It’s
eerie, though, and it has its moments. I just had hoped for the film to reach
its full potential.
Passed
the Bechdel test
2 dresses
of 6
https://festival.giff.se/events/the-childhood-of-a-leader
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2815902/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_5
