THE CHORUS

REVIEWED BY SHANNON H.

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: language, thematic elements

Rated:

Music is an art that can be enjoyed by all. Whether it's singing or playing an instrument, it is a wonder to be heard. Musicals such as Oklahoma or Showboat inspire that bit of American spirit. The Sound of Music is also a good musical, but unique because it takes several, untrained "singers" to make them into a choir. The Chorus is no different.

Famed symphony conductor Pierre Morhange is relaxing before a performance in the U.S. when he is called back to Paris, France after hearing that his mother had passed away. Later, he comes home and runs into an old acquaintance, Pépinot, whom he had known back from elementary school. The two look over a diary kept by their music teacher from 50 years ago when they were students at a boarding school for troubled boys. While reading the diary, they flash back to their elementary school years when they meet their new prefect, Clément Mathieu, a teacher and failed musician. He is replacing a prefect who could not stand the behavioral problems of the students that resided in the boarding school.  He is given a friendly welcome by a couple of fellow teachers and the groundskeeper, Mr. Maxence.  The headmaster of the school, Mr. Rachin, is less than thrilled to see Mathieu because he arrived later than his scheduled time (Rachin refused to accept Mathieu's excuse of arriving on a late bus). Immediately, Mathieu is forced to teach a classroom full of rowdy boys with no discipline. 

Once Mathieu starts his "tenure," he realizes that Mr. Rachin's strict and barbaric discipline drive the boys to bad conduct. Kids are often seen smoking in their bunks before bedtime.  A new student to the school takes a dislike to all authority and even has the gall to try to strangle the headmaster. It doesn't take much for Mathieu to realize that the boys need a positive influence in their lives or else they could turn into career criminals. He then decides to teach the boys how to sing. Day after day, Mathieu trains these boys to sing, and each day, there are hardly any disciplinary problems with the kids. Even the young, trouble-making Pierre Morhange is drawn into Mathieu's chorus by his natural singing ability (according to his mother, he never had lessons). Mathieu is delighted by Pierre's voice and worked with his mother to give him an audition to the Conservatory at Lyons, a music school in France. He even "adopts" an orphan, the young Pépinot. Soon the boys' chorus is receiving praise from fellow teachers, prefects, Mr. Maxence, and even a countess in France. Everyone is quick to offer praise to Mathieu for taming the undisciplined bunch, except for Mr. Rachin. He is annoyed that Mathieu is not so harsh to punish his students for their wrongdoings. Mr. Rachin bans Mathieu's chorus in order to keep the boys in line. Either Mathieu obeys the headmaster or breaks the rules and continues to allow his chorus to practice. 

The movie is rated PG13 for language, including mild profanities and two f-words. There are some acts of violence but they are all scuffles between boys or a run-in with the abusive Mr. Rachin. A boy is seen being whipped by the headmaster. Mr. Rachin slaps the same boy several times in another scene. There are some scattered sexual references. A couple of boys rummage through Mathieu's sheet music, hoping to find pictures of naked women. A bully taunts the young Pierre Morhange, calling his mother a "whore." There's no sex but there is a glimpse of boys standing in their nightshirts and briefs during a nighttime chorus rehearsal. 

The Bible states that a "soft hand turns away wrath." Mathieu is that "soft hand." His gentle demeanor and kindness appeal to the boys who have had to put up with abusive discipline from their headmaster, Mr. Rachin. On discipline, the Bible states that parents are not to provoke their children to anger or wrath. Mr. Rachin apparently seems to be provoking the students to "wrath" by losing their respect for authority. One scene in which Rachin criticizes Mathieu for organizing a boys' choir, Mathieu states that since he started the music program, hardly anyone has disobeyed. Rachin mentioned that it was pure chance.  Mathieu replied that he didn't "believe in chance." God gave people gifts not by "chance," but for the purpose of serving His people.  n the case of Pierre Morhange, Mathieu's guidance led him to a successful career in music where he became a symphony conductor, entertaining millions worldwide.

I loved The Chorus.  It's the French version of The Sound of Music with Mathieu as the male "counterpart" of Maria Von Trapp (with Pierre as a male "Liesl"). The sounds and the rhythms of the songs are catchy even though they are sung in French (with subtitles). Unlike the pessimistic 1960 French film noir classic The 400 Blows, this movie is humorous, bright, and heart-warming. Although it isn't as good as Julie Andrews' film, it comes pretty darn close.  If it didn't have any profanity in it, it would make a great family movie because of its' positive message.

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