Belle et Sébastien

Belle and Sebastian was originally a novel by the French actress and writer, Cécile Aubry. The story was very popular and was made into a French live-action series in 1965. Oddly, it later was a Japanese anime in the 1980s and now is a French film. Although the story is quite popular in France, I'd never heard of it and I cannot compare this film in any way to the other projects. The anime, series or book could be a lot better or worse…I just don't know.

This film is set during WWII in the French Alps. Sebastian is a 6 year- old boy who lives with his adopted grandfather and his niece. The boy is amazingly independent and resourceful—and as the film progresses you marvel at the kid's courage and tenacity. Initially you see it when the men of the village go off in search of an animal that is killing sheep. They assume it's a dog that has gone feral and they are determined to kill it. One day, Sebastian is walking in the hills and encounters the dog—and this Great Pyrenees doesn't seem particularly aggressive and the boy stands there and calmly talks to it. When the boy sees the dog again later, he even gets the dog to allow him to pet him and soon the pair are friends. But, the men have vowed to kill this animal and when Grandpa sees the animal, Sebastian goes so far as to stand in front of the dog to shield it from the gun. This is a good thing because later, it turns out that it's NOT this dog that is harming the sheep. Additionally, towards the end of the film, the dog turns out to be a serious blessing. But, what that is and how he helps saves some lives is something best seen by you.

Although this film has some Nazis in it, the film is appropriate for all ages. The violence is not too extreme and the film is similar in style to the old movie "Lassie Come Home"—charming and family-oriented entertainment. The star of Belle and Sebastian clearly is the location and the cinematography. It's rare to ever see a film so beautiful and the film truly is breathtaking. Additionally, you really have to admire the cast and crew for working some pretty extreme conditions to bring us the movie. Well worth seeing—particularly if you are looking for something you won't be ashamed to show your kids or mother!

Belle and Sebastian may also be the name of a band or an appliance brand but this review deals with the recent French film by that name. In it, a boy and his fluffy white dog save Jewish refugees from the Nazi occupation of France by leading them over the French Alps into Switzerland. Why don't the soldiers just follow them into unarmed Switzerland and take back the escapees is a good question for your history teacher. Beyond the honoring of true-life heroic acts taken by the French resistance, the movie is also an excuse to film some stunning visuals in the boy's largely vertical world. Within this world some sad and sophisticated things happen (including a least 2 double-crosses) so clearly this isn't an American children's picture. Some sad stuff happens as well but not as much as you expect for a French film. The acting is overwrought at times but generally very good - the dog is excellent. In short, worth taking your older children to and having them learn something.

An intriguing tail and adventure of a little human and Belle the Great Pyranees. She is the star of the movie.

The French movie Belle et Sébastien was shown in the U.S. with the title Belle and Sebastian (2013). It was directed by Nicolas Vanier. Félix Bossuet plays Sébastien, a young boy growing up with his grandfather and aunt in the French Alps, just across the border from Switzerland. (Actually, they're not really his grandfather and aunt, but those are the roles they would fill if they were biologically related.

The film takes place during WW II. We learn that the French Resistance in the area arranges the safe passage of Jews across the mountains into Switzerland. Naturally, the job of the occupying German soldiers is to stop this process and capture the Jews, along with the Resistance fighters who are helping them.

Sébastien doesn't go to school, because his grandfather believes that the boy will learn more by living the life of a mountaineer, learning practical information that will be of greater use than a formal education. That leaves Sébastien free to wander over the area. At one point he meets the huge white dog Belle, and they bond.

The local populace--including Sébastien's grandfather--believe that Belle is killing their sheep, and they are trying to find and kill the dog, while Sébastien is trying to protect and save her.

In a way, this film is programmed to capture our hearts. Sébastien is a brave and resourceful boy, Belle is gentle and beautiful, and we have all grown up with a cultural history of crying when a wounded Rin-Tin-Tin or Lassie is crawling under the barbed wire.

Still, the movie avoids most of these clichés, and Félix Bossuet is truly a gifted young actor. (I'll never understand how directors are able to bring forth such superb acting from children, but they do it. Director Vanier certainly manages it in this movie.)

We saw this movie at the Dryden Theatre as part of the wonderful Rochester International Jewish Film Festival. It took real strength on the part of the RIJFF to show this movie. Basically, it isn't about Jews. It's true that the Resistance is helping the Jews, but we only see the Jews as refugees, never as individual characters. The plots are all about Christians. However, that's one of the aspects of the RIJFF that makes it such a great festival--their movies aren't restricted to just a narrow band of "Jewish" films.

Belle et Sébastien will really work better on a large screen, because of the incredible mountain scenery. However, if you can't see it on a large screen, see it on a small screen. It's too good to miss.

Note: As I write this review, the movie has a tepid 6.8 IMDb rating. I'm not sure why--it's much better than that.

If you have a child who has never seen a foreign film, this would be a great one to start with! Belle and Sebastian is a French movie, by Nicholas Vanier, with English subtitles.

Belle and Sebastian is about a young boy, Sebastian and the friendship he makes with Belle, a large dog. She is being blamed for killing the sheep in the village. In fact, the villagers call her "the beast."

The movie is set in Nazi-occupied France. There are refugees in the village always escaping at night over the snow-covered mountains into Switzerland. Sebastian is told to stay away from both this part of the mountain and "the beast." But, he can't resist. He finds and tries to protect "the beast," who he names Belle.

Sebastian meets up with Belle every day and they run in the fields and play in the snow. He shows her places to hide from the angry villagers and from the German Nazi soldiers. She is Sebastian's friend and he believes that it is not her who is killing the sheep. The scenery in this film is incredible! The snow-covered mountains, grassy hillsides, waterfalls, rocks and panoramic vistas will take your breath away. There are lots of aerial shots in the film that make you wish you lived in France.

Parents should know that there is some drinking, lying and cursing, but the characters are trying to do their best given the given circumstances. It can't be easy having your little village be taken over by soldiers. Over-all, the message this movie gives is a good one. "Protect your friends and always try to do the right thing." I recommend this movie for ages ten to eighteen. This is a great age level to introduce appreciation of sub-titled movies. I give Belle and Sebastian four out of five stars for amazing scenery and great acting.