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The Chorus
Les Choristes
2004 97 min France, Switzerland PG-13 12+
★7.9
Drama, Comedy, Music
Director: Christophe Barratier
🎭 Based on
«A Cage of Nightingales»
Trailers
Description
In 1940s France, a new teacher at a school for disruptive boys gives hope and inspiration.
Budget:
$5.3M
US Gross:
$3.64M
Worldwide:
$83.6M
Starring
Gérard Jugnot
Actor
François Berléand
Actor
Jean-Baptiste Maunier
Actor
Awards
European Film Awards 2004
— Best Original Score
César Awards 2005
— Best Sound
César Awards 2005
— Best Original Score
César Awards 2005
— Best Production Design
BAFTA 2005
— Best Adapted Screenplay
European Film Awards 2004
— Best Picture
European Film Awards 2004
— Best Actor
César Awards 2005
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 2005
— Best Original Song
Goya Awards 2006
— Best European Film
BAFTA 2005
— Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
European Film Awards 2004
— Best Original Score
Academy Awards 2005
— Best International Feature Film
César Awards 2005
— Best Sound
César Awards 2005
— Best Original Score
César Awards 2005
— Best Picture
Golden Globe 2005
— Best International Feature Film
César Awards 2005
— Best Debut
BAFTA 2005
— Best International Feature Film
Key opinion
Les Choristes is widely celebrated as an emotionally resonant and uplifting drama that highlights the transformative power of music and kindness in a harsh environment. While many viewers find the film to be a masterpiece of human spirit, a minority of critics dismiss it as a predictable and overly manipulative take on the well-worn 'inspirational teacher' archetype.
| Score | The choir performances and the exceptional vocal talent of the child actors serve as the film's most powerful and immersive element. | |
| Acting | The child cast delivers authentic and deeply touching performances that anchor the film's emotional narrative. | |
| Production | The film utilizes effective visual storytelling, with the transition from bleak, grey tones to vibrant imagery mirroring the students' emotional growth. | |
| Theme | The film succeeds in conveying a profound, non-manipulative message about the superiority of empathy over punitive discipline. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are divided: supporters find the classic struggle between kindness and cruelty deeply moving, while detractors view the narrative as simplistic, derivative, and prone to cartoonish character tropes. | |
| Emotion | Viewers are split on the emotional tone; some find the film’s hopeful outlook profoundly inspiring, while others feel its focus on the suffering of children borders on artificial and contrived sentimentality. |