Forbidden Games (1952)

See All Available Formats

Synopsis of Forbidden Games

One of the first films to see the horrors of war through the eyes of children, Forbidden Games was a critical smash, winning prizes from the New York Film Critics, the British Academy, and the Venice Film Festival. Adapted by Francois Boyer, director Rene Clement, and two others from Boyer's novel, the story focuses on Paulette (Brigitte Fossey), a five-year-old refugee from Paris taken in by a peasant family after her parents are killed during a bombardment of a civilian convoy. Michel Dolle (Georges Pujouly), the family's 11-year-old son, becomes her best friend, and they create a cemetery in which Paulette's dog is interred, along with other animals and insects, some of whom the children kill themselves. The Dolle family is too busy feuding with the Gouards, their neighbors, to notice the absence of the children. Eventually, authorities locate Paulette and insist that she be placed in an orphanage for legal adoption. Unsentimental and yet heartbreaking, Forbidden Games demonstrates the strategies of children who witness war to deal with the constant presence of death. It's also a bitter condemnation of the selfishness of adults who could offer their charges more love and protection. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

85 mins

Complete Cast of Forbidden Games

Director(s):

René Clément

Writer(s):

Pierre Bost, Francois Boyer, René Clément

Producer(s):

Robert Dorfmann

• 1953 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Film - Any Source
• 1952 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Foreign Film
• 1952 - Venice International Film Festival - Lion of San Marco for Best Film

Looking for special editions of Forbidden Games?

See All Versions

Subtitles:

Check All Versions

Closed Captioning:

Check All Versions