Les Choristes is a French film released in 2004 that I watched in a French class in high school. It tells the story of Mr. Clément Mathieu, a failed musician who comes to work at a boarding school for troubled boys. The principal is strict and runs the school through fear, which Mr. Mathieu doesn’t agree with. He tries to approach the students on a more personal level, gaining their trust, and in his endeavours to bring about a positive change in the school, forms a choir. The student he is teaching in this clip is Pierre Morhange, an introverted boy who is prone to rebellious outbursts. During the choir auditions, Morhange had refused to sing, so this is the first time Mr. Mathieu is hearing him. This film left an impression on me because it’s an example of how music education can shape people’s lives. The atmosphere and behaviour at the school greatly improves once the choir is underway. The students learn to work together to create something that they’re proud of, which is not something that comes easily at their school. Morhange becomes the soloist of the choir, and at the end of the film, we are told he goes on to study music at a Conservatory and becomes a conductor. These things would not be possible had Mr. Mathieu not stepped into the school and recognized the potential among the students. It also shows what I’ve always thought of as a kind of teaching fantasy – being able to completely change a student’s life and give them opportunities that will lead to their happiness and success. Mr. Mathieu saw that Morhange was struggling, and gave Morhange a positive outlet for his energy, as well as the attention he needed. He shows him he has a talent and that he can be good at something, which is not something the students at this boarding school felt about themselves. Looking at just the teaching montage itself, we can tell that Mr. Mathieu is a teacher that knows his audience. He teaches in a way that gets his point across and engages the students. Morhange is paying attention and smiling while they are in the classroom. We also see shots outside of the classroom, which might mean that Mr. Mathieu has figured out different ways to help Morhange learn and has decided that other locations might work for teaching as well. Later in the film, he recognizes that the students are feeling trapped in the classroom and moves his lessons outside. To me, this means that he is constantly re-evaluating his methods and examining how his students are responding and feeling. This clip from Legally Blonde shows Elle Woods’ first class at Harvard. For those who aren’t familiar with the plot of Legally Blonde, Elle Woods is a fashion merchandising student and sorority girl with a politically well positioned boyfriend named Warner. He dumps her just before heading off to Harvard Law and she decides that to win him back, she needs to show him that she’s every bit as capable as he is, and fully applies herself to her studies. She gets into Harvard Law, and once she’s there, finds out that Warner is now engaged to another girl, Vivian. Just before this clip begins, Elle is looking around and sees everyone pulling out their laptops while she pulls out her notebook and pen. The girl who supports the professor’s decision to kick Elle out of class is the aforementioned new fiancée of her ex-boyfriend.
When I first watched this, I thought it was a very stereotypical depiction of an American University classroom – ruthless professors with cutthroat students and surprise readings that are long and hard to understand. It’s media like this that shapes your ideas of what university is like before you get there. I liked the professor at first; I thought she got her point across very well, in a way that really gets at the importance of what it is they’re studying. Sometimes people’s lives really are staked on the law. It makes sense for her to have a no-nonsense attitude when the subject matter is so serious. However, her decision to kick Elle out of class on the first day was going a little overboard. Was Elle supposed to be prepared? Yes, but how is she going to learn if she’s not in the classroom? Pitting her against Vivian right away was also a little harsh. I’ve heard people say that a little bit of competition is healthy, but I haven’t yet figured out on a personal level how much competition is the right amount.
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