DVD Mini Review - Forbidden Games

I will say that Rene Clement's Forbidden Games in a beautiful but sad film about the loss of innocence. The story is all about what war does to children. Shot in glorious black and white the film really impresses. But there is something that really disturbs me and will get to it later on.

Little Paulette (Brigitte Fossey) and her parents are trying to escape the Nazi invasion of Paris. Along with many others they are trying to find a safe place. But luck is not on their side and the parents are killed. Also killed is Paulette's beloved little dog Jock. But Paulette survives. Traumatized Paulette walks around with the dead dog and is found by a family who is not kind to her. She leaves them but is eventually found by Michel (Georges Poujouly)who is a bit older than her. He brings her to his family and they take her in. Both of them experience death of a loved one at an early age. Because of this they decide to make a cemetery just for dead animals. I won't say more about the plot because I don't want to give things away.

As I said before, Clement does a marvelous job in directing the film. It is really an anti-war statement. The two child actors are absolutely terrific. The film won several awards and it is easy to see why.

So what is my problem with the film. Well, did they actually kill the little dog for the film? That is a big ethical question for me. I do not a definite answer to that one. When dog is dead (and wet) I thought that he looked fake. But the pre-death scene looked real. Some have said that the used electrodes and that the dog didn't die. And in an interview that comes on the DVD Fossey says that the scene was "realistic" and bothered her a lot. That word makes me believe that he didn't die. But, in all honesty, as much as I think that this is a masterful film I wish that Clement would have cut out a scene or two concerning the dog. No animal should ever die or be harmed in the making of any film!