The Chorus

Set in France shortly after the Second World War, The Chorus follows Clément Mathieu, an unemployed music teacher who takes a job as a supervisor at a boarding school for boys with behavioural difficulties. The school is run by headmaster Rachin, whose harsh disciplinary methods only deepen the boys' resentment and aggression. Rather than join in the punishment, Mathieu begins teaching the students to sing, forming a choir that gradually changes the atmosphere of the institution and the lives of the boys in it.

The film was directed by Christophe Barratier, who wrote the screenplay with Philippe Lopes-Curval. It was his first feature, released in 2004 and followed by War of the Buttons, The Outsider, Jesus, from Nazareth to Jerusalem, Fly Me Away, Comme par magie and The Children of the Resistance. Gérard Jugnot plays Mathieu, with François Berléand as Rachin, Kad Merad as Chabert, Jean-Paul Bonnaire as Father Maxence, Marie Bunel as Violette Morhange and Jean-Baptiste Maunier as Pierre Morhange; twenty-five cast members are credited.

Made for about 5 million dollars, the film took roughly 84 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.9 out of 10 from around 72,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.7 out of 10 from about 2,700 votes. The critics' rating stands at 6.4 out of 10 from 105 reviews, lower than the audience scores.