Partisan (2015)

Partisan: Directed by Ariel Kleiman. With Vincent Cassel, Florence Mezzara, Esther Blaser-Tokarev, Charlotte Miller. Alexander, a boy who has been raised in a sequestered commune, finds that his increasing unwillingness to fall in line puts him on a collision course with Gregori, the society’s charismatic and domineering leader.

“A sequestered commune is the setting for Ariel Kleimanu0026#39;s disturbing story about 11-year-old Alexander (Jeremy Chabriel), whose father, Gregori (Vincent Cassell) teaches him a life to be divorced from mainstream life, except when Alexander efficiently murders for money. The joy of the communers juxtaposed with their terrible assignments points up the filmu0026#39;s allegorical comment on the danger of isolationism.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film points out the ironic Christ-like parallel as Gregori carries wood across his shoulders to begin building a home for his children and harem. The contrast between his love for his life and the horrid tasks for the children is obvious and a telling comment on the dangers of messianic obsession.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA couple of the young boys, including Alexander, rebel against Alexanderu0026#39;s tyranny and become objects of deep concern for Gregori. Even an unauthorized candy bar could be trouble. Mostly, though, itu0026#39;s the natural contrariness of youths, exacerbated by the limiting confines of a closed community, that leads Alexander to begin straying.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile Kleiman leaves out the spiritual development of the commune, especially with so many women complying, and definitely leaves the audience hanging at the end, the film is successful showing a productive closed society, a Utopia if you will, the downside appearing as a dark stain not easily expunged.”