This stunning debut in auteurist filmmaking by actor-turned-director Brady Corbet is a snapshot in the life of a 10-year-old boy whose father is an American diplomat involved in the formation of the Treaty of Versailles, a peace treaty ratified in France in 1919 which ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers.
Newcomer Tom Sweet plays the astute little boy whose antisocial and manipulative behaviour, if left unchecked by his authoritarian parents, forbodes the rise of a megalomaniac.
You can find more information on this film on Wikipedia and IMDb. However, we recommend against reading spoilers or watching trailers (such as the one below) before watching a film; they almost always diminish the dramatic impact storytellers aspire to achieve.
NEWLINE
Title: The Childhood of a Leader
Year released: 2015
Languages: English, French
Director: Brady Corbet
Screenplay: Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
Loosely based on: Jean-Paul Sartre’s short story The Childhood of a Leader (1939) and John Fowles’ The Magus (1965)
Cinematographer: Lol Crawley
Editor: Dávid Jancsó
Score: Scott Walker
Stars: Tom Sweet, Stacy Martin, Liam Cunningham, Robert Pattinson, Bérénice Bejo
NEWLINE
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Comments left by readers may contain spoilers
Wonderful Cinema 
Nice to see you back, Shimky!
I didn’t know about this film, so now you have me intrigued.
Best wishes, Pete.
Hi Pete! Nice to hear from you. Do please leave a comment on Red White & Blue and let us know what you thought of your £2.80 purchase!!
Hard to believe, but I still haven’t watched it! It’s on the rack behind me. I will be sure to do that though.
Cheers, Pete.
Oh no, it’s not hard to believe at all. I have hundreds of books and films sitting on shelves that I haven’t got around to watch yet. It generates a nice, warm feeling – like our futures are safely taken care of!
You got that right!
I was on the lookout for a blog like yours! Today is my lucky day 🙂
That makes me very happy, Saloni!
🙂
Hi, Shimky. Have you given up blogging? Your absences are getting longer…
Cheers, Pete.
Pete, my dear old friend, I’ve been berating myself for being such a lazy good-for-nothing – especially considering the great films I’ve found and want to share. So I’m just starting a redesign project on wonderfulcinema and then I will start posting again. Well, at least once… (you know me by now!).
Many thanks for getting in touch – it really is a great motivator!