Le paradis

Le Paradis is a triumph of storytelling with superb acting from all the caste, excellent cinematography, and an enchanting soundtrack.

The characters of Joe and William are brought to life by the talented Khalil Ben Gharbia and Julien De Saint Jean who have wonderful chemistry together. Joe and William's yearning is palpable throughout the film, which is a testament to the actor's ability.

The story is set in a juvenile delinquents reform centre, where a group of boys are managed by a small team of staff who run the their day to day activities. The struggles that lead one to become a juvenile delinquent is breathtakingly told when Joe performs his rap composition. Ben Gharbia's emotional performance in this scene really brought home the tragedy of his life, his anger at being from a broken home, his feelings of alienation arising from being of an ethnic minority, and his pain at how hopeless and bleak his future seems.

Meanwhile De Saint Jean perfectly embodies his character William who, despite his reputation and appearance, is remarkably affectionate, sensitive, talented and has a rich inner world where his imagination takes flight, as evident through his drawings. His fondness for Joe immediately becomes evident when he chooses him as the subject of his black box photography project. This scene includes extended shots with gorgeous cinematography, of the characters gazing intently at each other, which speaks volumes about their budding emotions. Later, William's silent tears, shed in solitude, emphatically convey his intense loneliness and sorrow in the suffocating setting of the reform centre.

A really special sentiment expressed beautifully throughout the movie is that of yearning. We witness William and Joe, full of hopeless yearning, constantly trying to reach for each other through the wall that separates their rooms. Joe plays William a love song through the wall which is heart-wrenchingly romantic. Then, they try to communicate by knocking, before finally happily discovering that their voice can be heard on the other side. William, who has a fascination for snakes as they are believed to be guardians of paradise according to viking legends, goes so far as to draw snakes all over the wall that separates him from Joe, subtly stating that Joe is his paradise. All these scenes are heartbreaking and convey the depth of their feelings and challenges in ways that leave the viewer is awe.

Another wonderful thing about this movie is that Joe and William's intimacy is shown rather than spoken; William hides his radio for Joe in a place he knows Joe will find it when Joe's own radio is confiscated, Joe gets a tattoo from William and it's the snake protecting paradise design which means so much to William, they steal away moments when they can and sit together in knowing silence when they can't. The screenplay is simply superb and says what it needs to without adding anything superfluous.

The music is heavenly and fits perfectly with every scene. I especially loved the enchanting song a little past the halfway point, which was a rendition of Soltane Ghalbha (King of Hearts, Aref) in another language. It played to a beautiful and romantic sequence of William and Joe growing closer which was really moving. Congratulations and well done Bachar Mar-Khalifé on his excellent soundtrack.

A special mention must be made for the secondary characters who played their roles with heart and realism. Well done!

Overall Le Paradis is a beautiful film that will make your heart ache for its brave, unlikely lovers.

The film tells the story of two minors, William and Joe, who are incarcerated in a juvenile detention center for committing a crime and are forced to live their lives in a routine way, the presence of William left a spark in Joe's life, and they fall in love with each other. When Joe is told that his incarceration is to be extended for three months, both are quite hurt, and in a show of defiance, William sets fire to the training room. William, who is now an adult, is then imprisoned and a long sentence awaits him.

After watching it, I was quite disappointed and confused. The psychological portrayal of the characters is so inadequate, two people fall in love with each other just after meeting, there should at least be a gradual process here. Because of this, I didn't feel the pain that the two people felt afterwards because they were about to be separated. And then there's William's motivation for arson. Is three months of deferred imprisonment really a long time? I can understand if it's three years, would three months to be with someone whom you love so torturous? So, the logic here doesn't make sense to me, and I really couldn't empathize with the characters.

There were also some things I liked about the film, such as the monologue that appeared twice

"We'd go up to the ice and walk on it when the water was frozen solid. In the middle of the lake, we'd sometimes see fish trapped in the ice, lined up beside one another. Like a family. When I was a kid, I thought they hibernated, like bears. I thought they spent winter there, then woke up in the spring. I thought they would come back to life and breathe again, like before. Like before winter. But now I know: A fish caught in the ice never comes back to life. It dies. "

This monologue is very poignant and sets the tone of the film from the very beginning. It depicts himself inside the juvenile detention center, thinking that walking out of the gate that held them would give the teenagers their lives and freedom back, but a part of them died within the walls long ago. The film is also translated in China as 'Paradise within the Walls', which I think is a more appropriate title for the film, as Joe and William are repulsed by the idea of being outside the walls, having been incarcerated in a juvenile detention center for delinquency. And being in this state of restraint for so long is something they're familiar with. So, when William learnt that Joe was leaving, his first reaction was not excitement but sobbing, and within the walls were memories that belonged to them. Outside the high walls, can an antisocial personality really be fitting in society again? If we follow this logic, it may explain why William finally set the fire, they chose to go to a more restrained place to prolong their love, inside the prison.

And finally, what about writing a monologue from Willam's heart when he learns that Joe is leaving: Now you are about to have the world and freedom, and I'm about to lose them.

The image I retain from this film is not actually an original one but it's something I'm sure prisoners do in every prison all over the world. It's the communication both spiritual and physical through the wall of their adjoining cells. I have to say Jean Genet did it better in "Un chant d'amour" but here it was germane and poignant.

The setting for this is a sort of French borstal. The sentences are indeterminate as in the former English system but decided by the judge and not the officers and governor. This leads to a tragic conclusion.

Two lads fall in love within the walls. Beautiful Khalil Ben Gharbia as Joe, who played such a good rôle on Nattåget, and Julien de Saint Jean as William snatch torrid moments together. The exposure of their affair leads to a foregone conclusion, one we might have guessed would happen.

The film is just right at an hour and twenty three minutes; I wasn't bored for an instant. Heartily recommended.